


tumblr prompts

by annabetncnase



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:00:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 35
Words: 21,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24224728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annabetncnase/pseuds/annabetncnase
Summary: i have a lot of smaller drabbles on my tumblr that i don't post here so i'll just dump them all here in case you're interested!
Comments: 79
Kudos: 161
Collections: favorite on PJO





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> prompt: can't you stay a little longer?

The only light in Cabin 3 was the moonlight leaking through the window, but Percy could see Annabeth perfectly. His brain filled in the blanks, showing him the features of her face the darkness was hiding. From the way her voice sounded, he could tell she was smiling just so, the corners of her mouth twitched up in a way that made it look like she was sharing a secret. She was, in a way - the way she was whispering was only for Percy to hear, a softness that was only his privilege to feel.

“What time is it?” She asked.

“I don’t know. Two? Two thirty?”

“I should go back to my cabin.”

He held her wrist before she could move away, and she made no effort to release it.

“Can’t you stay a little longer?”

“Sure,” she said, lying back down next to him.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, and she let him embrace her. Her face buried in his chest and he slipped his hand under the back of her shirt, seeking the warmth of her skin. Percy felt goosebumps rise on her skin as he ran his palm down her back.

“Does this feel good?” He asked, hesitant. Her body was new to him, and he didn’t want to abuse these new freedoms by taking what she didn’t want to give.

Percy felt Annabeth nod against his chest, so he continued. He moved his hand with a deliberate slowness, trying to engrave her skin on his in a way he’d never forget.

“What are you doing?” She asked, but it wasn’t a complaint.

“Memorizing you,” he told her.

He felt her hand move to his hair as she tilted her chin up to kiss him. It was soft, chaste. _I’m here with you_ , it said. _Don’t go_ , he wanted to respond.

The truth is Annabeth made Percy’s cabin feel a lot less empty, even though every other bunk was still unoccupied. Without her, the loneliness in the room screamed louder than the wind blowing outside, louder than the murmurs of tree branches brushing against each other and the ocean breaking in the distance. With Annabeth, however, there was silence - sweet, comfortable silence. Maybe quiet enough for her to listen to his heart pounding against his chest.

She fell asleep before he did, he discovered when he heard her breathing deepen and stabilize. He didn’t dare move a muscle - gods knew she hadn’t been sleeping any better than he had. His eyes fluttered shut soon afterwards.

* * *

When he woke up in the middle of the woods on a warm afternoon, he knew one name - Annabeth. He was told his own name.

She guided him through a world unknown, as she was his only certainty.

When he was not fighting for his own life, he laid down on the grass and closed his eyes. If he tried hard enough, he could sometimes conjure his most treasured memory. He did not share it with anyone, fearing it would dissolve with his words as they escaped his lips.

The memory was this: the feeling of her skin underneath his fingertips, warm and soft. Her giving lips pressed against his, whispering sweet reassurances. _Don’t go_ , he begged her in this echo. She never stayed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: what's cookin', good lookin'?

“What’s cookin’, good lookin’?”

 _Crap,_ Annabeth thought, _he’s back._ Then she was surprised she thought that, because that’s the opposite of what Percy’s presence made her feel. Not crappy at all, really. His arrival usually put a smile on her face and made the room feel lighter. But now that she was wrist-deep in a bowl of blue cupcake dough, which tasted very not cupcakey, she kinda wished she had her invisibility cap on.

She turned around quickly, trying to cover her hands and the mess she’d made in the kitchen with her body.

“Um, I thought you weren’t coming back ‘til later?”

“My class was cancelled,” he explained, not interested in it in the slightest. His eyes were searching the counter, trying to figure out what Annabeth was doing. “Whatcha doing over there?”

“Nothing?” She tried.

Percy raised his eyebrows. “Right. I’m just gonna look, then.”

“Fine,” Annabeth sighed. “I was trying to bake cupcakes for your birthday tomorrow. You know, like your sixteenth birthday.”

Percy walked over and gently removed her hands from her back. He lifted one of them up to his mouth and licked some of the dough off the tip of her finger. His frown indicated he did not like what he tasted.

“You hate it already,” Annabeth lamented. She didn’t know why she’d even decided to do something she knew she was terrible at and therefore ruin Percy’s present.

Percy laughed. “I don’t hate it, it just needs some fixing.”

“What kind of girlfriend am I? Forcing you to make your own birthday present.”

Percy pressed a kiss to her forehead and took the bowl from the counter, tasting it once again.

“In case you’ve forgotten, tomorrow is also our anniversary, so it’s only fair that I collaborate.”

Annabeth wondered if one of Percy’s Poseidon powers was always knowing what to say to make her feel better. Her heart swelled with love for her boyfriend, who was now adding ingredients to the dough. Not a minute later, he tasted it again and put the bowl down.

“I think it’s good now, wanna taste?” He asked.

She did, and it was delicious. She nodded, so he grabbed the cupcake pan and filled it.

“Did you preheat the oven?”

“Yep.”

“Cool.”

They sat on the kitchen floor, Annabeth’s head on Percy’s shoulder and his arm around her, and watched the cupcakes grow. She listened to him tell her about his day, and stole a kiss every once in a while. His lips tasted like vanilla and cinnamon, and she was pretty sure she’d never love anything else half as much as she loved him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im on tumblr @theseaofmonster :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompts: "you should help" + "let me help you"

When Percy visited Annabeth at her dorm that Saturday, she could tell he was barely awake. She was frankly a bit worried about the fact that he had driven a car in that state. The plus side would be that she wouldn’t have to worry about him making noise and alerting the school employees and her hall mates of his presence. The downside was, well, everything else. Besides the fact that he wouldn’t be the best conversationalist given the fact that he was half asleep, it also worried Annabeth when he went this long without sleeping - and from what she could tell, it had been at around four days.

“Percy,” she called while he scrolled through his phone, lying on her bed.

He glanced at her. “Yeah?”

“You know I love you and I love hanging out with you.”

“I hear a ‘but’ coming.”

“But you should probably be asleep right now.”

He sat up. “I’m fine, really. Just a little tir…” his sentence was interrupted by a yawn.

Annabeth got up from her desk and sat next to him on the bed. She rubbed her hand on his back.

“Percy. You need to rest.”

He sighed. “It’s been kinda hard.”

“Why?”

“My brain’s just been… too loud. I can’t fall asleep.”

“Let me help you,” Annabeth offered.

“Yeah?”

She grabbed one of her throw pillows, placed it on her lap and tapped on it, motioning for him to lie down. He did, lying on his stomach and looking up at her.

“Are you comfortable?” Annabeth asked.

Percy nodded.

“I’m going to tell you a story, and all you need to do is pay attention, got it?”

“Got it.”

Annabeth picked the first fairytale she could remember, something about a knight who lost a lot of money or something like that. She knew the story wouldn’t really matter, so long as Percy was minimally interested in it. She spoke softly, stroking his hair, until his eyes fluttered shut and his breathing slowed down, like she knew it did when he was asleep.

She stayed still, quietly flipping through her book until Percy woke up a couple of hours later. Yeah, her legs were a little numb, but she knew from personal experience the difference a two hour nap could make when you hadn’t slept in days.

Percy stretched and sat up, rubbing his eyes. “Your magic story worked,” he told Annabeth.

She laughed. “It’s just a story, Seaweed Brain.”

“Tell me your methods, then.”

“Well,” she started, “when my brain gets too loud, I just need to make it pay attention to something else, but something that I’m only kind of interested in.”

“So you’re not interested enough to stay up to pay attention, but interested enough to be distracted,” Percy guessed. 

“Exactly. I usually put on a YouTube video or something.”

“Did you learn that in therapy?”

“Yeah, I did. Works for me, at least.”

“I’ll try the YouTube thing, but I doubt it’ll be as effective as falling asleep on my girlfriend’s lap.”

“My lap is always available for you.”

“Amazing,” Percy smiled. “I’ll never have insomnia again.”

“You should probably try the YouTube thing too, though. Just in case.”

“Probably.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> catch me on tumblr @theseaofmonster


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "because i love you"

“You don’t have to go, you know,” Annabeth said. “Clarisse is there. Connor and Travis are there.”

Percy was bouncing a rubber ball back and forth at his wall, while Annabeth watched from his desk chair.

“They’re gonna be pissed at me,” Percy countered.

“I don’t think they are. And even then, so what if they get pissed at you?”

“I don’t know, I just might seem like an asshole.”

Here’s what the problem was: on the fall break after the they defeated Kronos, a few campers who weren’t there for the fight for whatever reason wanted to create a second memorial service for their fallen friends. And Annabeth was fine with that, really, except for the fact that she didn’t want to go. At all. She wasn’t half done mourning them, and she was definitely not ready to go to an event exclusively dedicated to that purpose. One that she had already attended in the past. Since Percy was the hero of the prophecy, everyone felt like it was appropriate for him to go. Annabeth, however, just wanted them to leave him alone.

He’d barely gotten used to school again, and he and Annabeth had been working together so both of them could finish the first half of the semester on a high note. After fighting a war, listening to someone talk about Math at nine in the morning could be quite disorienting, they both found. Which is why Annabeth was insistent. 

“Percy, you’re not going to be an asshole if you don’t go. You already did your job, right? You saved the world. They can do the memorial without you.”

Percy grabbed the ball and moved to the bed, sitting next to Annabeth. “So you wouldn’t go if you were me?”

“No. Besides the fact that you don’t even want to go, I don’t think it’d be good to relive all that right now.”

He sighed and rested his head on her shoulder. “Yeah, tell me about it.”

Annabeth ran a hand through his hair. “And if anyone has anything to say, tell them they can take it up with me.”

“Really?” Percy raised his head and raised an eyebrow. “You do know _Drew Tanaka_ is organizing it, right?”

“Yes, Seaweed Brain.”

“You’d fight Drew Tanaka for me?”

“Of course.”

“Why? She’d annoy you into losing.”

“Because I love you.”

Percy smiled and kissed her cheek. “Aw, I love you too. And I would also fight Drew Tanaka for you, by the way.”

“Thanks, Percy,” she said. “And besides, if you didn’t annoy me into losing a single time in all these years, Drew Tanaka couldn’t even make a scratch.”

“You do know that comment cancels out your ‘I love you’, right?”

“Fine, if I say it again will I make up for it?”

“Yes.”

She pressed a kiss to his lips. “I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my tumblr is @theseaofmonster :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "i can't stop thinking about you"

Annabeth had barely gotten over Percy’s insane decision to sit on his father’s throne when Thalia marched in. Her bow was snapped in half and her quiver was empty.

“You’ve got to get down there,” she told us. “The enemy is advancing. And Kronos is leading them." 

_This is it_ , Annabeth thought. Kronos had made it to Olympus, and she and Percy would be facing him eye to eye very soon. The prophecy rung in her ears - _a single choice shall end his days_. She looked at Percy.

He looked sad and scared. Annabeth realized the same thought that was going through her head might have been going through his: this might be his last battle. For the millionth time, she cursed the Fates. Percy had done nothing to deserve this. He was a good, bright young boy who deserved to live a long and happy life. And a tiny, selfish voice in her brain screamed that she deserved to spend it with him.

“Let’s go, then,” Percy said, turning to Grover and Thalia. “Can you get everyone up here moving? Annabeth and I will go ahead and get things ready down there.”

“Got it,” Grover said.

“Meet you there,” Percy turned to Annabeth. “Ready?”

No. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

They ran to the elevator, which was already waiting at the 600th floor. Annabeth stepped in after Percy and they stood in opposite sides as the door closed with a _ding_. Percy’s eyes were fixed on the floor, and he fidgeted with his pen between his fingers. There was no music playing, and Annabeth wished there was, because the silence preceding their probable deaths just made the future seem even more terrifying.

Most of all, however, her brain was loud as a siren, telling her this would be one of her last moments with Percy. Annabeth cursed herself for how she’d treated him in the past few days. She’d let her own jealousy and fear of losing him take over and she’d been terrible to him. What if he died thinking that’s how she felt about him? She felt tears welling up.

“Percy,” she called him.

He didn’t say anything, but his eyes met hers. Annabeth tried to memorize them, every shade of green, the way they were darker on the edges and had a tiny bit of hazel on the inside.

“I know we’re about to fight Kronos, but I can’t stop thinking about you,” she admitted. 

“Annabeth-”

“No, let me finish. Percy… I don’t want you to die,” she let out a sob. “But… but I know that- I just want you to know that-”

He took a step in her direction and took one of her hands.

“I know,” he said, his voice broken.

“I’ve been so horrible you these past few days, and you need to know that’s not how I feel about you. You mean _so_ much to me, Percy. And I’m sorry. About everything, because you deserve to be so happy.”

“I’m sorry too. That I this has to happen and that I have to leave.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“I’m still sorry. And I’m also sorry because I know that we… you mean so much more to me than you know, Annabeth.”

Annabeth wanted to tell him she loved him, but it seemed unfair. To her and to him. She pulled him into a hug instead.

“I’ll miss you so much, Percy.”

He held her very tight. “I will too.”

She touched her forehead to his, a moment of bravery. “We won’t forget you, okay? I won’t forget you. I’ll keep your memory alive.”

“You’re the best friend I ever had,” Percy told her. “You’re amazing, and smart, and beautiful, and I’m lucky I even met you.”

“I’m luckier. You’re the best hero there’s ever been.”

She buried her face in his neck, holding on to him until she heard another ding.

Percy squeezed her hand, ran out of the elevator, and Annabeth followed him to the biggest battle of her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> catch me on tumblr @theseaofmonster


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompts: "of course i care" + "don't shut me out"

Camp had just done an attack drill, and it had not been easy. These practice defense manoeuvres had gotten heavier and heavier, especially with the impending attacks that were expected very real, those ones very real, in which people would die. Annabeth tried not to wonder who, and especially if she’d live to see it for herself.

She was sitting by the armory, exhausted and half-mindedly wiping the blade of her dagger when Percy sat down next to her, and her heart immediately started beating a thousand times a minute, and her stomach immediately sank. You see, being with Percy hurt, and not being with Percy hurt too. So, in perfect Annabeth fashion, she simply decided to pretend it did not. For a while, she figured that if she just acted like he didn’t mean all that much to her, maybe it would hurt less (she would later find out that method does not work). What she didn’t realize, however, is pretending not to be in love with her best friend would be just as bad for Percy as it was for her.

She didn’t dare meet his eyes when he asked what she was doing.

“Cleaning my blade,” Annabeth said matter-of-factly.

She saw Percy nod from the corner of her eye, clearly disappointed she didn’t give him anything else to go off of. Some of their conversations had been like this now - cold, quick, dry. She hated it more than anything else in the world. She also hated how sometimes, when they were them, talking and laughing, they’d turn it into an argument about something stupid in no time.

“Have you been talking to your dad?” He tried again.

She hadn’t, actually. Annabeth hadn’t called him in weeks. She knew he wouldn’t understand, and gods know what he’d babble on to her stepmother Angela about, which would make her judge Annabeth even more for something she understood nothing about.

“Sure,” she lied.

Percy knew her too well to believe in her poor attempt at a lie. He sighed.

“Annabeth.”

“What?”

“You don’t have to- don’t shut me out like that.”

She finally looked at him. He looked almost hopeless, his eyebrows furrowed and his mouth in a slight frown. She kind of wanted to kiss it away, but alas, she could not.

“I just… I didn’t think you’d care.”

“Of course I care,” he responded, and her heart broke a little bit at how honest he sounded. She missed him so much, missed them so much.

“I haven’t talked to him in a while,” she caved, more for herself than for him. “He’s busy as always, and he just wouldn’t get it. He doesn’t know the half of the situation and I just know he’d try and talk about it with Angela.”

“Yeah, I don’t think he’d get it.”

“Does Paul know what’s going on?”

“A little bit. He knows something big’s going on and I need to be here, but I’m not sure how detailed his perception of the situation is,” he shrugged. “I’ll just explain everything later.”

A If I’m still here hung unspoken. Annabeth fought the urge to end the conversation then and there.

“He’s a cool guy, right? He was nice when I talked to him at the wedding,” which I left halfway through because I didn’t know how to be around you without losing my mind.

“Yeah,” he smiled slightly, “I don’t think he’s like Gabe at all.”

“That’s good.”

The dinner horn sounded in the distance.

Percy got up. “Guess I’ll go clean up. See you later.”

“See you later,” Annabeth responded. As he walked away, she realized she felt fuller than she had in days.

Leaving her best friend out of her life felt like erasing some of the color in the world, but when they were together, the colors just felt way too bright sometimes. She was scared keeping him around would mean getting blinded, but right now, that seemed way better than the dull world she’d created for herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come chat w me on tumblr @theseaofmonster


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> first sentence prompt

**“My mythology professor had the nerve to refer to Patroclus as Achilles’s best friend. Like, excuse me, sir, they were boyfriends,”** Percy complained.

He’d decided to take a Greek mythology class that semester for some easy credit, and he and Annabeth had been having some fun with the professor’s interpretations of the gods’ personalities. She looked forward to Tuesday nights, when he’d tell her all the ridiculous things he’d ‘learned’ that day over dinner.

“Did anyone say anything?” Annabeth asked.

“Yeah, one girl raised her hand and pretty much told him they were in love, and he called it an ‘alternative theory’ about the characters. I should have him talk to Aphrodite.”

“Oh, gods, she’s always gushing about them. I wouldn’t be surprised if your professor showed up to class with some dove poop on his head one of these days.”

Percy laughed, “I really hope that happens.”

“What else did he talk about?”

“Soulmates. One of the weirdest myths, in my opinion.”

“There are certainly technical imperfections,” Annabeth considered. “I mean, if all those initial people were split in half, then that would mean everyone else after them who was born normal doesn’t have a soulmate. Either that or we’re all born incomplete.”

“Maybe I’ll write my paper about that. I’ll sound so smart.”

“You are smart, Seaweed Brain.”

Percy smiled. “Do you believe in soulmates?”

“I don’t know. I mean, there’s no reason the myth couldn’t be real, but it doesn’t make a lot of sense, even for our standards. Do you?”

“I don’t know either, but if they are real, then you’re mine.”

He said it so casually, as if he was telling her what the temperature was. It almost felt weird, hearing him say that over Chinese takeout and week-old Coke. That was Percy, though. He didn’t need a special moment to express his feelings. It was something that surprised Annabeth when they started dating - friend Percy was affectionate yet shy, but boyfriend Percy blurted things out without thinking twice.

The first time Percy told Annabeth he loved her, they were just sitting together after a sparring session. She said something stupid that made him laugh and he just said it, then and there. He looked panicked for a second, scared he’d gone too far too soon. After getting over the initial shock, though, Annabeth said it back. Because it was true. Because it was Percy, and she wasn’t scared of loving him anymore.

“How do you know?” Annabeth asked.

“Because it’s impossible for me to love anyone more than I love you. Impossible. I’d explode,” he explained. “Actually, I take that back. I’ll probably love our kids that much too, but they’ll be fifty percent you, so it still makes sense.”

And it was so Percy to say an extremely intimate and emotional thing followed by another even more intimate and emotional thing that Annabeth couldn’t hold back a smile. It would have terrified her a few years ago, this earnest honesty. She would have feared his words would turn out to be just that - words. She knew better now, though. She’d told him about something permanent, wondered what it would look like.

“Your theory makes a lot of sense,” Annabeth said.

“See? I’m going to ace this paper.”

Here’s what permanent looked like for Annabeth: green eyes, dark hair pointing to every direction, and hands that always reached for hers.

“I love you,” she told him.

“Love you too,” he chewed quietly for a few moments. “I hope that if there’s ever a Greek myth about me, they don’t forget you’re my girlfriend, cause that would suck.”

“That’s probably not the most relevant fact about you, Percy.”

Percy shrugged. “Whatever.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> talk to me on tumblr @theseaofmonster :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: tell me a secret

The sunset looked really nice from the middle of the strawberry fields. There was a fresh breeze now that the sun was slowly sinking down into the horizon of Camp Half-Blood, allowing Annabeth to sit outside without feeling she was about to melt. Now there was something else making her melt: her boyfriend, lying next to her, smoothing his thumb over her hand.

She turned her glance towards Percy. His arm was placed under his head as he watched the sky, and he looked unusually peaceful. His eyes were almost closed, his jaw wasn’t clenched, his shoulders were relaxed, and a small smile danced on his lips, as if the scent of the strawberries washed away every problem he’d ever had. In Annabeth’s opinion, he looked better than a Renaissance painting.

He felt her glance and turned his head in her direction.

“Hi.”

“Hey.”

Annabeth couldn’t hold back a smile. It was crazy to her how much Percy felt like home. She lifted a hand and brushed a strand of hair out of his face, and his eyes fluttered shut with the comfort of the touch. She swore to never forget that moment, more important than any blueprint she’d ever draw.

“Tell me a secret,” Annabeth asked.

“Who, me?”

“No, my other boyfriend.”

“When he tells you, let me know, then.”

“Jerk,” she laughed and pressed a kiss to his jaw.

“Fine, let me think about it first,” he looked back at the sky. “This is hard, you basically know everything about me.”

He played with her hand while he thought, squeezing the tip of her fingers then lacing them with his.

“Okay,” he looked at her again, “this isn’t exactly a secret, it’s just something you don’t know.”

“I’m excited.”

“Remember when Thalia became a hunter?”

She nodded. 

“Well, when that happened, I thought Artemis was gonna ask _you_ to join, and I almost had a heart attack and died on the spot.”

“Wait, is that why you were freaking out so much?”

“Yep?”

“Oh my gods, I thought you were just nervous in general,” Annabeth thought back to that day. “Is that what you were gonna tell me in the party?”

“Yeah, but then your mom was like, ‘stay away from my daughter, blah blah blah.’”

“I can’t believe she said that to you.”

“Yeah, well, it clearly didn’t work,” he winked. “I’m a rebel.”

“I’m glad.”

He smiled. “It’s your turn.”

“To tell you a secret?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. I have a crush on this guy…”

“What’s he like?”

“Oh, he’s a rebel.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Don’t tell him, though.”

“Your secret is safe with me, but I do have a feeling he likes you back.”

“Are you sure?”

“Pretty sure. I think he’s in love with you.”

“And what’s he gonna do about it?”

“This,” Percy cupped Annabeth’s cheek and kissed her lips. “And this,” then her cheek, “and this,” then her jaw.

As Percy planted small kisses all over her face, Annabeth’s laughter dissolved in the wind, which blew far, far into the strawberry fields.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @theseaofmonster on tumblr :)


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "is that... my shirt?"

Annabeth wasn’t one to dress up. She usually put on the first clean shirt she could find, made her hair and face look acceptable, and went about her day. So when she snuck out of Percy’s cabin that morning, she didn’t pay that much attention to the shirt she was wearing. Sure, maybe it was a little larger than usual, but she was busy trying to go back to her cabin unseen. She swears.

They were still at that phase of their relationship in which the entire camp did their best to catch them doing anything and make them feel as embarrassed as possible about it, so discretion was of the essence. If anyone knew she’d stayed the night at Percy’s cabin, they would be the talk of the camp for the rest of the summer. Fortunately, everything went fine. With her invisibility cap, she managed to go back to her cabin before her siblings woke up, and just sat in her bed with a book until it was time to go out for breakfast.

Annabeth congratulated herself on her success and considered repeating the experience. It had been the first time she’d spent the night at Cabin 3, and nothing too scandalous happened. Sure, maybe one item of clothing or another hit the floor, but that was it. They were still getting to know each other’s bodies, getting used to this intimacy that was so new to both of them. Besides, Percy was the biggest gentleman on earth. He still was very hesitant, and didn’t even attempt to do anything Annabeth didn’t ask for.

After breakfast, Annabeth made her way to table 3 to tell Percy their secret mission had triumphed.

“Hey,” she said, sitting next to him. She figured that, since breakfast was over, nobody would bug her about breaking rules.

“Hello,” he greeted her. “How’d it go?”

“I don’t think anyone noticed.”

“Are you sure?”

“Um, nobody said anything so I’m pretty sure.”

“Amazing. The fact that you have a literal invisibility cap is the best thing in the world.”

“Well, it takes more than an invisibility cap to sneak in and out of a cabin with fifteen people.”

“Of course. Props to you for your sneakiness.”

Annabeth bowed slightly. “Thank you.”

Percy was about to say something else when his gaze lowered to her lower body, then to her right arm.

“Is that… my shirt?”

Annabeth looked down at her own torso. “Uh… no?”

A smile started to grow slowly on Percy’s lips. “Yeah, it is.”

“How would you know? They all look the same.”

“Well, for starters, it’s too big. However,” he pulled at her right sleeve, “I have a shirt with that exact stain from when I dropped the arts and crafts box and the spray paint exploded.”

Annabeth glanced at her arm, and there it was - a small faded green stain that looked like it had been scrubbed multiple times. The worst part is, she knew exactly what Percy was talking about. She was there when the spray paint exploded, and one of her shirts had gotten stained too.

She felt a blush creep up her cheeks. She felt strangely vulnerable, and yet strangely normal. She was a teenager wearing her boyfriend’s shirt who sneaked out after spending the night with him. Percy seemed to be having the best time. He now sported a full smile, crooked in the most Percy way possible, and Annabeth felt the strange urge to hide her face on his neck. She wasn’t exactly sure what she was blushing about, but she felt like Percy’s comforting hand on her back would make it go away.

“Annabeth!” Chiron called from the other end of the cafeteria. Annabeth instinctively brought her hand up to her right sleeve, covering the green stain. “I think you know what I’m about to tell you.”

She was sure she looked red as a tomato at that point. She started thinking of a million ways she could have gotten caught leaving cabin 3, and didn’t dare looking at Percy for a second. 

“That’s not your table, young lady. If you wish to sit down, please do so with the rest of your siblings.”

Annabeth tried not to show she was extremely relieved, but she heard Percy release a breath of tension next to her.

She got up. “Sorry.”

Chiron nodded, and turned back to continue his conversation with a seemingly uninterested Mr. D.

“Come on, shirt thief,” Percy said, getting up. “Let’s talk somewhere else.”

“Shut up,” Annabeth said, but took the hand he offered. Maybe this wearing-your-boyfriend’s-shirt thing wasn’t so bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> talk to me on tumblr @theseaofmonster!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "do you really think i'm happy?" + "have you lost your damn mind?" except it's not what you expect ;)

“That was great.”

“Do you really think I’m happy?”

“It’s not your fault you don’t see the truth, Percy.”

“How the fuck is _that_ the truth?”

“I think Woody deserves to be happy with his girlfriend instead of staying home with a child who would rather play with a plastic fork!”

They’d just gotten out of the movie theatre after watching Toy Story 4. Annabeth liked the ending, which Percy took personal offense to. How could she be so heartless?

“Bonnie was going to play with Forkie for like, 3 days, get tired and then she’ll miss Woody! That’s the whole goddamn point of the movies, Annabeth!”

“Well, maybe Bonnie should learn to appreciate her toys more if she likes them so much. Instead of, you know, losing them.”

“Woody literally left! He walked out!”

“Exactly, _he_ left! Maybe he would have stayed if he cared so much.”

“But he do- did you even watch the same movie as me?”

“Yes, and you watched it wrong.”

“No, you did!”

Annabeth stopped walking and crossed her arms. “Are you telling me that if we were toys and had a heartfelt reunion after being in love for so long, you would leave me for some human who doesn’t love you?”

Percy stared at her for ten seconds. “Have you lost your damn mind?”

“Well, would you?”

“I- this isn’t- I’m not answering that question!”

“So you would?”

“Annabeth!”

“You don’t love me.”

Percy was about to go into a heartfelt speech about how Betty was nothing to Woody in comparison to how much Annabeth meant to him when he realized she was holding back a smile.

“I hate you so much,” he said, which prompted Annabeth to release the laughter she’d been holding in.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his cheek. “You’re _so_ cute when you’re flustered.”

“One day I’m gonna… do something. And then you’ll see.”

“What will I see?”

“You’ll find out when you see it.”

“So articulate.”

“Shut up.”

“Love you too.”

After that, they got ice cream and Percy won Annabeth a teddy bear on the claw machine. Because even though she had a terrible opinion about Toy Story 4, he was still in love with her.

“I hope this teddy bear leaves you for his teddy bear girlfriend,” he told her anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my tumblr: @theseaofmonster :)


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "you're worth it"

The letters and numbers in the page started to blend together until Percy felt like throwing the book against the wall. The more practice questions he got wrong, the lower he projected his SAT score to be, and the smaller his chances of going to college near Annabeth seemed. He wished he could be as smart as his girlfriend, who was sitting next to him and patiently explaining what he got wrong.

“I don’t want to do this anymore,” Percy interrupted her.

Annabeth eyed him for a few moments, seeming a bit startled by his abruptness. “Sure, let’s take a break.”

“Not a break. I just want to stop.”

“Percy, we need to finish this worksheet-”

“Why? It doesn’t matter. I’m not going to learn because I’m stupid so there’s no fucking point,” he got up from his desk and let himself flop on his bed.

With his eyes closed, he heard Annabeth close the book and walk to the bed, then he felt the mattress shift as she sat next to him.

“Percy, look at me.”

He sat up and faced her. Annabeth put out her hand, and he took it.

“Baby, you’re not stupid.”

“Then why can’t I just get the math right?”

“Because it’s hard, and you can’t be good at everything.”

“Apparently, I can’t be good at anything.”

“Except for saving the world. And understanding people. And always knowing what to say. And being a good son, and friend, and boyfriend, and person,” Annabeth listed. “Percy, if you were stupid you would have died many years ago, and I would have too. You’ve saved so many people’s lives because you’re smart. Who cares if you can’t get a few math questions right on the first try?”

“I do, Annabeth. Because if I can’t get them right, then that means I won’t pass my exams and I won’t get to go to college with you.”

“You will pass. You’re learning, Percy, you’re just tired. I can tell how much better you’re getting at this. Remember a couple weeks ago, when we were doing the last unit? You were having a hard time with it too, and now you can do all that stuff with your eyes closed.”

Percy sighed. She was probably right, but he was way too tired to even think about that right now. He laid his head on Annabeth’s shoulder and closed his eyes - everything felt too much right now, the light coming from his window, the noises from the street. He relaxed when he felt Annabeth’s arms wrap around him and her lips press to his forehead.

“We can try some more tomorrow, when you feel better. Is that okay?” She asked, her voice soft in a way he knew was reserved for him.

Percy nodded, but didn’t say anything. He reminded himself why this was so important anyway. Sure, college mattered, but Percy could do it anywhere. Annabeth, however would only be in one place. He knew it was insane to think this way at seventeen, but after everything he’d been through, he knew his priorities. Being with the girl he loved was worth more than any diploma.

He wondered if he was worth anything at all, though. Annabeth spent a lot of time helping him with school while she could be doing anything else, and he didn’t know if he deserved all that attention.

Percy lifted his head up and took both of her hands.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Annabeth asked.

“That you take all this time to help me and all I do is freak out.”

“You don’t have to apologize. I help you because I want to.”

“Why?”

“You’re worth it,” she ran her thumb across his cheek. “You’re crazy if you think I’m gonna let you spend four years far away from me because of some stupid test. No way, Jackson. We’re staying together, remember?”

“Okay,” Percy agreed. The certainty in her voice put a smile on his face.

“Okay,” she smiled back. “Wanna grab a snack?”

“You know me so well.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my tumblr: @theseaofmonster


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "you've always felt like home"

Percy slumped next to Annabeth on the couch. Annabeth’s roommate was gone for the night, so she’d invited him to stay for the night. He didn’t mind the commute to Berkeley - these days, it was rare that they got to spend the night together, especially with finals approaching. 

She was flipping through a large binder with old blueprints. Percy didn’t really get what most of the stuff on them meant, but he thought they looked great. Eventually, Annabeth got to one page labeled “the house” in big block letters.

“Whose house is that?” Percy asked.

Annabeth looked at the blueprint and smiled. “Um, it’s ours.”

A wave of warmth traveled down Percy’s body. She’d drawn a house for them to live in. Together.

“I don’t know if we’ll ever actually live in it,” she continued, “but I still liked imagining it.”

He snuggled up closer to her. “Walk me through it.”

She looked at him and smiled softly before returning to the blueprint.

“So this is the front of the house,” she pointed. “The front door is here, and then there’s a long hallway. There’s a living room on the left and the dining room and kitchen on the right. Then further down here the hallway closes down for the rooms. In the beginning is an office space, and a guest room next to that. On the other side there’s the master suite, where we would sleep, and after that there’s a little closet. There’s a laundry room in the back, and that takes you to a small basement for storage.”

“Sounds expensive.”

Annabeth laughed. “Yep. I can dream big, though, right?”

“You can dream whatever size you want.”

Big dreams, Percy thought. The idea of living on a proper house with Annabeth was definitely not a small one. That situation was so ideal he imagined he’d be almost incapable of feeling unhappy if it actually happened.

“What do you think?” Annabeth asked.

“I think it’s literally perfect. The nicest place I’ll ever live in, if we ever do.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Percy said, pulling her closer. “But as long as you’re there, I’ll even live in a box in the New York City subway.”

“While I do appreciate your intentions, I don’t think we’ll ever have to do that.”

“I really hope you’re right.” Percy took her hands. “I mean it, though. I think, for me, you’ve always felt like home. Otherwise, I would have just booked it from Camp the second someone said I might have to go on a quest.”

“I think you’re my home too,” Annabeth said.

Annabeth wasn’t one for big sentimental declarations, and Percy knew that. Over time, he’d learned how to read the words written in her kisses, her touches. So, when she said that, bold and clear, Percy knew she meant it.

He pulled her onto his lap, and she kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her, trying to hold her as close to him as he could.

Percy Jackson was sitting on an old couch, in a tiny college dorm room where his girlfriend lived with someone else. Yet, he was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @theseaofmonster on tumblr :)


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "don't touch him"

The raid had gone from bad to worse very quickly.

They’d gotten word that some of Kronos’s half blood followers were set up not far from camp, probably preparing some sort of surprise attack. Annabeth and Percy set up a small team to go check out the operation, and possibly shut it down. Clarisse came along, so did Malcolm, Katie, and Travis. But somehow, their target had been alerted of their intentions, because as soon as they set foot in their improvised camp, five half-bloods (plus a giant scorpion) were already in position to fight back - and gods knew they could fight. 

Looking back, Annabeth realized they had nothing to worry about. It was six against six, counting the monster, and they had one hell of a team. She and Percy alone could have handled the opposing half-bloods. Then, however, her battle instincts were screaming too loud for her to think that way, especially when she saw Percy pinned against a tree, the tip of a sword to his throat. He met her eyes, a silent call for help: _I need a distraction_.

Annabeth’s words came more out of fear than strategy. They were a threat nonetheless.

“Don’t touch him.”

The blonde girl holding the sword looked back just long enough for Percy to hit her arm, causing her sword to fall with a _clang_. Annabeth charged at the same time. The girl realized she was surrounded and ran away from both, in the direction where Clarisse and Katie were fighting the monster. Percy and Annabeth took off behind her.

“Are you okay?” Annabeth asked.

“Better than ever,” he responded.

She noticed he was holding the other girl’s sword. “Where’s Riptide?”

“No clue, but it will be in my pocket very soon.”

They stopped in the middle of a now empty field, where the scorpion had just evaporated into dust. The other four enemies were tied up to a tree and being watched by Malcolm and Travis, but the fifth was nowhere to be found.

“Did you guys see that blonde one run off somewhere?” Percy asked Malcolm and Travis.

“No, weren’t you fighting her?” 

“Dude, you _lost_ your person?”

“She’s not my per- whatever,” Percy turned back to Annabeth. “Wanna play hide and seek?”

“Love to.”

They headed to the woods, which is where they concluded the girl was probably hiding. Back to back, they advanced slowly into the sea of trees, alert for any noise or movement. Suddenly, Annabeth saw an arrow fly right past her shoulder.

She turned around quickly and spotted the girl creeping from behind a tree. “There!”

Annabeth saw the enemy fumble for another arrow, and she was about to move when she realized the previous one had grazed Percy’s arm, which was bleeding quite a bit. She could tell he was in pain, even though he didn’t let it prevent him from holding up his sword and focusing intently on their target.

She pulled Percy behind a tree to protect themselves from the girl’s aim and told him to stay there. She didn’t think he would, but she hoped maybe his injured arm would put some sense into his head. As soon as the second arrow flew by, she moved. The enemy dropped her bow and ran once again, but this time, Annabeth was faster. The image of blondie’s blade against Percy’s throat burned in her mind as she tackled her and pinned her hands behind her back.

“I told you not to touch him,” she said, hitting the girl’s head against the floor hard enough to drive her unconscious.

Percy was by her side in a second. “Is she out?”

“Yeah,” Annabeth got up. “How’s your arm?”

“It’ll be fine with a little bit of nectar.”

“Go get it, then. I’ve got this.”

“Are you sure?”

She raised her eyebrows.

“You are. Okay, have fun with your new friend!”

Annabeth half-dragged, half-carried the girl back to the others. When she got there, Percy’s arm was bandaged, and he was gulping down some ambrosia.

“I have the last one. Is everyone okay?”

The rest of the group was sitting down by a tree. They all gave her a thumbs up.

“Cool. I’ll call Argos and tell him to bring the van with the cage.”

While they waited, Annabeth set next to Percy.

“Thanks for saving me back there,” he said.

“No worries.”

“You looked kinda scary when you were chasing that girl. I was glad I wasn’t her.”

“It’s one of my best qualities.”

“Definitely,” he smiled, and Annabeth honestly hadn’t expected him to agree instead of teasing her a little more. A wave of butterflies fluttered in her stomach.

“It’s your turn to save me next time,” she told him.

“Will do, Beth.”

She hoped the sound of Travis snoring next to them was loud enough to cover the sound of her heart pounding against her chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> follow me on tumblr if u want! @theseaofmonster


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "you're like a marshmallow, perfect for cuddling"

In that California winter night, the temperature was in the thirties, which was, oh well, kinda cold for Percy. He’s a New Yorker and he knew much worse. For Annabeth, however, who had lived a big part of her life in year-round summertime, this was basically Antarctica. Which is why Percy wasn’t surprised when he got home to find her on the couch wrapped in what must have been fifteen thousand blankets.

And yeah, they’d been dating for four years now, but Percy’s heart skipped a beat. She looked so adorable. Her nose was red, her hair was a little messy, and her blanket prison prevented her from moving anything but her eyes to look at him when he entered the room.

“I see you’re cold,” he offered as a greeting.

“No, I just felt like restricting my limbs.”

Percy laughed and walked into their room to change out of his day clothes. He took a really quick shower and put on a hoodie and sweatpants, decidedly ready for a cozy night with his cute girlfriend. When he went back to the living room, she hadn’t moved an inch.

He stood at the doorway for a minute, waiting for her to notice he was back. After a while, and with much effort, Annabeth turned her head back to look at him.

“What are you doing standing there?” She asked.

“Exactly that,” he said matter-of-factly, but he couldn’t hold back a smile.

“Weirdo. What are you smiling about?”

“You look so cute with all those blankets.”

She put an arm out, creating an opening in her blanket burrito. “Care to join me?”

Percy sat next to her, allowing her to close her arm around his waist so that they would both be covered. She laid her head on his shoulder.

“You’re so warm right now,” he said. “You’re basically a marshmallow.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Perfect for cuddling.”

“See? Don’t make fun of my blankets. They come with benefits.”

“You’re my favorite benefit.”

“Shut up.”

“You know I’m cheesy, Annabeth. It’s not my fault you’re in love with me.”

“Stop making fun of me or I’ll kick you out.”

He really didn’t wanna get kicked out, so he didn’t say anything. Instead, he just pressed a kiss to the top of her head and one to her cheek. Annabeth was so warm, and Percy knew she was everything he’d ever need.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> catch up w me on tumblr @theseaofmonster


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "do you need a ride home?" except i deleted the word "home"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some context: this is before tlo, annabeth went to nyc during the school year to visit camp on some holiday or whatever and she and percy went to the movies together

They walked out of the movie theatre laughing.

“That was the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life,” Annabeth said.

“I know, right? As if Zeus would ever do that. Even my dad wouldn’t be that nice,” Percy agreed. “These Greek mythology movies are the best comedies, in my opinion.”

“Definitely. Are you hungry?”

“Always. Wanna get burgers?”

“Again? We always get burgers.”

“Fine, what do you want?”

“I don’t know.”

“Then how come you want to tell me what not to get?”

“Shut up, Seaweed Brain. I just want some variety.”

“Okay, then you have thirty seconds to pick something else or we’re getting burgers.”

“Are you serious?”

“One, two, three, four-”

“Chinese! I want Chinese.”

“Anywhere specific?”

“Nah, you can pick.”

Percy led her to a little place close to his apartment. Fortunately, they didn’t encounter any monsters on the way there. They sat on a small table on the corner and ordered.

“So, how’s private school life been?” Percy asked once they were settled.

“It’s fine. My roommate is very annoying.”

“Why?”

“She’s such a neat freak. Whenever I leave clothes on the floor, even if it’s on my side, she keeps being snarky about how messy I am.”

“Well, you are messy.”

“Shut up. That’s not the point. If I was messy on her side, then fine, but it’s my side. I don’t complain when she keeps killing her succulents, because they’re on her desk.”

“Sounds like you’re complaining about her killing her succulents.”

“Ha-ha.”

“Does she really kill her succulents, though? That’s, like, almost impossible.”

“Believe it or not, she’s had at least three different ones last semester alone.”

“Sucks for her. Rachel gave me a plant for Christmas and it’s still going strong.”

Percy realized his mistake too late. He’d said the magic word: Rachel. The magic thing about it was that it made Annabeth automatically angry, no matter the context it was used in. Well, maybe not if he said something like ‘I hate Rachel’, but he didn’t really want to say that.

“Oh,” Annabeth said, suddenly very interested in her noodles. “Did you get her a gift too?”

“Um, yes.”

“What did you get her?”

“A t-shirt.”

“That’s nice,” she said. If Percy was going to guess, she didn’t actually think it was nice.

Percy didn’t understand what the problem was. He’d gotten Annabeth a gift too, a much nicer one, in fact. Not that she cared about that, but he thought it should at least count for something. 

“Do you keep the plant in your bedroom?”

“Yes.” He could also tell her that he kept it next to the one Calypso had given him, but he didn’t feel like being yelled at or anything. “Why?”

“Nothing.”

Percy frowned. It wasn’t fair to him that she was treating him like this. He was allowed to have other friends, and Annabeth didn’t have to be so annoying about it.

“What’s your problem?” He didn’t mean to be so blunt, but that’s what came out anyway.

“My problem? What are you talking about?”

“You’re being weird just because I talked about Rachel. Every single time, no matter what I do, you start being weird and cold to me.”

“Me? You’re the one who’s asking me what my problem is all of a sudden.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“No.”

“Why are you being such an asshole right now?”

“You’re the-” She sighed. “You know what? I’ll just go back to camp, and you can go be an asshole to Rachel.”

She was about to storm off when they heard thunder sound in the distance. Then they realized it was raining heavily outside.

Annabeth stopped dead in her tracks. She probably planned on walking to wherever Argo was going to pick her up and waiting until it was time for him to come.

“Do you have an umbrella?” Percy asked uselessly.

Annabeth turned back and shook her head. She had tears in her eyes, and Percy almost forgot why he was mad at her in the first place.

“Do you need a ride?”

She nodded.

Percy got up. “Come on, let’s get Paul’s car. I’ll drive you.”

They weren’t too far, so the walk wasn’t too long. It was long enough, however, for both of them to be completely soaked when they arrived.

Percy changed and offered Annabeth a camp shirt and an old hoodie, which she accepted. He explained why he needed the Prius and Paul said it was fine, so they were soon in the car together.

The ride was quiet, and not the comfortable silence they often enjoyed. This time, Percy wished the rain was louder so he would think less about saying something.

Percy pulled up at the designated meet up spot.

“When is he picking you up?” He asked.

“Five,” Annabeth said.

Percy looked at the clock. It was still four. The rain was still as heavy as before, and Annabeth looked completely miserable. He was not going to drop her off and leave.

“Okay. What do you want to do for the next hour?” He asked.

Annabeth seemed surprised, so much so that a small smile grew on her lips.

“I don’t know,” she said, her voice small.

“Do you wanna play that guessing game you taught me last summer?”

“Sure. You start.”

Before they knew it, it was five. Annabeth waved at Percy as she ran in the rain to Argos’s van, and Percy wished she could stay a little longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm on tumblr @theseaofmonster :)


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: just breathe, okay?

“Percy Jackson ran out of class earlier.”

“Really? He’s kind of weird sometimes, but he seems like a good guy.”

Annabeth stopped dead in her tracks.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?”

The girl looked startled by her interruption.

“Um, he’s a good guy-”

“No, before that.”

“He ran out of class,” the other girl, Annabeth thought her name was Hailey, supplied.

Annabeth was immediately on alert. When she’d talked to Percy that morning, he’d told her he hadn’t slept very well because of nightmares, so she’d made a mental note to check in with him later. However, it looked like he was feeling worse than she thought.

“Where did he go?” Annabeth asked.

“I don’t know, sorry,” Haley said.

 _Great_ , Annabeth thought. She had fifth period in fifteen minutes, but she couldn’t just go without making sure Percy was okay.

She was making her way to his locker when she ran into Paul.

“Paul,” she called, “where’s Percy?”

“I’m not sure, I just got out of class. Why? Is everything okay?”

“I don’t know. I have to go.”

Annabeth decided to check Paul’s office next. The last time Percy’d had a panic attack during class, that’s where he went. It was empty, so she went to the nurse’s office.

She didn’t really have a reason to be in there, and she assumed that _I want to know if my boyfriend is here_ wouldn’t really work, so she just walked in.

There he was, sitting on a chair by the wall, staring at the floor. Ms. Clarke, the nurse, was standing in front of Percy, trying to offer him a cup of water, but he didn’t seem to be listening.

Annabeth walked forward and knelt next to the chair.

“Excuse me, miss, what are you doing here?” Ms. Clarke questioned.

Annabeth ignored her and grabbed Percy’s hand. “Percy. Hey, you okay?”

He reacted to her voice, turning his face slightly to look at her. He nodded, but he was shaking.

Annabeth reached for the water, and Mrs. Clarke handed it to her, seemingly surprised she’d gotten a reaction out of him.

“I need you to drink some water, okay? I promise you’ll feel better,” Annabeth told Percy.

Percy looked at the plastic cup, hesitant.

“It’s okay,” Annabeth said softly. “Come on.”

Percy nodded and slowly drank the water, while still holding onto Annabeth with his other hand. When he was done, he looked back at her, as if he was waiting for her to say something else.

“It’s alright,” she promised. “See? We’re just at school. **Just breathe, okay?** I promise everything is fine and we’re safe.”

She waited until Percy took a couple of deep breaths before getting up.

“You should get Mr. Blofis,” Annabeth told the nurse. “He probably needs to go home.”

Ms. Clarke looked equally impressed Annabeth had handled the situation and disturbed by her presence in the office.

“Well… thank you, Ms. Chase. I’ll call him over.”

Annabeth nodded and turned back to Percy.

“I’ll see you soon. It’ll be okay, Paul is coming, alright?”

“Alright,” Percy said.

Annabeth smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “Bye. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> catch me on tumblr @theseaofmonster


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "how could you ask me that?"

Annabeth sat up in bed as her nightmare shook her awake. She was trembling, desperately looking around in the dark and trying to figure out where, when, what was happening.

“Annabeth,” a low voice called next to her. Percy soon sat up next to her and put a hand on her back.

She grabbed his shirt and let out a sob as he wrapped his arms around her.

“Percy,” she whispered.

“It’s okay,” he said, “I’m here.”

She held onto him as tight as she could, scared that if she let go, he’d disappear. She kept her eyes open - if she closed them, she’d see her nightmare all over again; Percy’s lifeless eyes, the ocean green replaced by a dull gray as he bled out in her arms. She couldn’t save him from the Arai. She’d let him fight them all by himself, taking up curse after curse until they were all dead and so was he.

She slipped a hand under the back of his shirt, seeking his warmth. She felt a scar near his shoulder, and her mind flashed to the time he’d gotten it, right before they’d gotten into the elevator at the Doors of Death.

She moved her back hand down. Every time she held him and felt the scars scattered around his body, she couldn’t help but think she was responsible for some of them. Tartarus was Annabeth’s journey, and brave, brave Percy Jackson refused to let her go alone. Sometimes she wondered if he would be better off if he’d let her go by herself.

She pulled back. Pain and worry were evident in his eyes, even now when she couldn’t see him very well. She wished she could wipe it away with a stroke of her thumb to his cheek, but gods knew she couldn’t.

“Don’t you ever wish you had let me go?” She asked.

His hands fell down her back. “Annabeth, how could you ask me that?”

“Don’t- don’t you wish you hadn’t gone there? If you’d let me go, you would never have been to Tartarus.”

“I’d do it again,” he pulled her to him and made her look at him. “Annabeth, I’d rather go to Tartarus ten times than let you die.”

“I just don’t want you to feel pain.”

“Trust me, this is nothing compared to losing you.”

Annabeth buried her face in Percy’s neck and let herself cry quietly.

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to be sorry. I made a decision and I don’t regret it. The only thing that matters is that we’re together now.”

Annabeth tried to believe him. The truth was, none of it was good or fair. It was really fucking unfair, and they’d just have to hold onto each other and wait for the worst to pass. So she held onto him, letting his heartbeat reassure her, and waited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come catch up w me on tumblr @theseaofmonster :)


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompts: "i don't want your apology" + "how much did you have to drink?"

Percy could sense the trouble when Piper called in the middle of the night.

It’s not like he was asleep or anything. Percy and insomnia were close acquaintances, and his late nights studying didn’t do him any favors. He look at his screen before answering - 1:58 am.

“What did she do?” He asked right away.

Piper laughed at his bluntness. “Nothing. Well, she’s crying a lot, but she didn’t do anything.”

This had happened once or twice when Annabeth slept over at Piper’s for a girl’s night, which they both insisted on having, and Percy didn’t mind. He knew Annabeth take care of herself. However, alcohol (which would necessarily be a part of the sleepover) had unpredictable effects on his girlfriend. On some occasions, she would just become very sad, hence the crying, and ask to go home.

“Does she wanna come home?”

“Yeah. I would drive her but I don’t think that would be a very good idea, well… in my current state.”

“No worries. Be there in a bit.”

“Oh my gods, you’re an angel. See you soon.”

Percy chuckled to himself and grabbed the car keys. The next two hours would be interesting.

He got to Piper’s place in twenty minutes and rang the buzzer.

“Percy?”

“Yep.”

“Come up, the door’s unlocked.”

He sprinted up the stairs, wondering in what state his girlfriend would be in. He would never admit this to her, but he usually found her extremely funny when she was drunk, because she would cry for the stupidest reasons. It is true she cried often in general, which, when they’d just started dating, used to freak him out. He always felt like there was something he should be doing, something he could fix, and he felt bad when he couldn’t. Now, when she started crying when the dog died in some music video, he was well equipped - a tight hug, a kiss to the forehead and maybe a cookie would put an end to the crisis. However, drunk Annabeth was a different story, because she wasn’t as rational.

He let himself in and immediately saw Annabeth on the couch, hugging Piper’s arm and crying quietly as she chewed on a half-eaten bagel. She looked at the door when it opened and gulped down what was in her mouth.

“Percy!” She exclaimed.

“Hi, baby,” he greeted her, holding back a smile.

She got up from the couch, handed Piper the rest of her bagel and walked to Percy, wrapping her arms around his waist.

“You took soooo long,” she whined.

“I’m sorry,” he responded, “but if I got a speeding ticket, you’d be mad at me tomorrow.”

Annabeth seemed to agree with his reasoning, because she just nodded and walked back to Piper, who was just observing the couple with half interest from the couch.

“Thanks for holding my bagel,” she said. “I’m gonna go get my stuff.”

Percy sat next to Piper on the couch and they waited for Annabeth to come back.

Piper elbowed him. “You’re a patient man.”

“Nah, I’m just in love with her,” he considered. “And I also think it’s really fucking funny.”

“I guess. I’m sure something else must be going on, but she started crying because she tried to make a mug cookie in the microwave and burned it.”

“And you let her? That’s basically asking for it.”

“Fine”, she huffed, “next time, I’ll only let her sit on the couch, watch TV, drink and eat.”

“Excellent plan.”

Annabeth then emerged from the hallway, carrying a small bag, and sat between Piper and Percy on the couch.

She hugged Piper. “Do you hate me?”

Piper laughed. “Of course not, you dumbass.”

“But the sleepover is over.”

“Hey, how could either of us enjoy the sleepover after you burned your cookie?”

Annabeth sobbed once, reminded of her failure. “I love you even if I’m going home with Percy, okay?”

“Okay, dork. I love you too,’ she turned to Percy. “Text me when you get home.”

“Will do,” Percy agreed and stood up, grabbing Annabeth’s hand. “Come on, babe. Let’s go home.”

She wiped her eyes and followed him, waving goodbye to Piper.

They took the elevator down, even though they were only on the second floor. Annabeth seemed fine, but Percy didn’t want her to trip and fall.

He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “ **How much did you have to drink?** ”

“Um, like… five drinks?”

“Which ones?”

“The pink ones.”

“The pink ones. Okay,” he smiled.

The drive home was silent. She’d stopped crying, or at least crying so much, and she now toyed with the charger cable plugged on the radio. Percy glanced over at her every once in a while to check on her. The truth is she’d probably been feeling sad earlier in the day for whatever reason, and the alcohol only enhanced the feeling. Percy would talk to her when she woke up sober the next day to make sure she was really okay, but for now, he just had to make sure she went to bed alright.

When they got home, he sat her down on the couch and went to the kitchen to grab a tall glass of water and an aspirin. When he handed her the two items, she put her hands up.

“Wait,” she stopped him, “I have to say something.”

“I’m all ears.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“And I’m sorry I made you come pick me up.”

“Hey, **I don’t want your apology** ,” he smiled, “I just want you to have this aspirin.”

“Were you sleeping?”

“Nope. You know I sleep better when you’re there, anyway, so I’m glad you’re here.”

She finally took the glass and smiled before swallowing the pill. Percy made sure she had all the water before they both went to be. She fell asleep quickly, and he followed her shortly after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm on tumblr @theseaofmonster :)


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "_____! open the door!"

When she woke up that day, Annabeth felt grateful for Camp Half Blood’s controlled weather. She absolutely despised the cold, so she was glad to escape the harsh New York winter to live in summer time for a couple of weeks. The sun looked bright as ever, even though if you looked far away enough in the Long Island horizon, you could see some dark, cold clouds, that would eventually be pushed away by the camp’s magical barriers.

Winter break at camp took her back to that year’s summer. Annabeth couldn’t believe how different the first and second halves of her year had been. Before August, she’d been living in constant angst, waiting for the seemingly unavoidable moment in which the Great Prophecy would realize itself, taking Percy with it. She saw him drift away, farther and farther, and prepared herself for him leaving her.

But he didn’t. He stayed, and above all, he stayed for her. All the frustration they had both been feeling, about each other and about the fate they thought was ahead, melted into something much lighter, better, sweeter. They spent the next four months going from stolen glances to stolen kisses, whispered _I love you_ s and hands tightly clasped together. Annabeth struggled to understand just how the boy she had once been prepared to grieve was now her boyfriend.

Camp was a lot emptier now - usually summer campers didn’t come for winter break, so it was just the year-rounders and a few other people - Annabeth and Percy included. They were going to spend a while there, celebrate the end of a successful semester at high school - a great achievement for any half-blood. Annabeth took her usual seat at the breakfast table with her siblings, and glanced at the Poseidon table. _Strange_ , she thought, _Percy isn’t there_. She didn’t give it a lot more thought. He probably just overslept. Annabeth set her mind to finishing her breakfast and talking to her sister instead.

However, when the cleaning harpies passed by to collect the dishes, he wasn’t there yet. She stood up and looked around, searching for any sign of him. Nothing.

“Will,” Annabeth called her friend, who was still sitting at his own table. “Have you seen Percy?”

“Annabeth, if _you_ don’t know where he is, then I definitely don’t know either.”

She didn’t think he would still be in his cabin. He overslept, sure, but never this much. Maybe he skipped breakfast to blow off some steam, so Annabeth took a walk around camp. Training grounds - no, volleyball field - no, armory - no. She asked around, too. No one knew where he was.

Annabeth went to his cabin next and knocked. No answer. She knocked again. “Percy!” Silence. “Percy! Open the door!”

Her patience ran out. She opened the door and looked around the cabin. Everything looked exactly like the last time she’d seen it. His bed was undone, clothes all over the floor, a half-empty backpack laid on the bunk next to his. Everything pointed to him being there, except for the fact that he wasn’t. She slowly advanced into the room, making the way to his bed.

On top of his sheets was a peacock feather. _Hera_ , she thought. But what did it mean?

On her back pocket, Annabeth’s phone rang, and the screen read _Rachel_. She picked up, terrified of what she would hear.

“Annabeth,” Rachel said.

“Rachel, what’s going on?”

“I- I don’t know,” she admitted, “but it isn’t good.”

Annabeth didn’t listen to what Rachel said next. She sat on the floor and cried, cried and cried until someone discovered her sitting on the floor of cabin 3. “He’s gone,” was all she could say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> talk to me on tumblr @theseaofmonster


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompts: "you're bleeding" + "you’re going to be okay. everything is going to be fine.”  
> TW BLOOD

Date night started like this: Percy heard Annabeth knock on the door, but when he opened it, she was on the floor in front of him, trying her hardest to sit up.

“You’re bleeding,” Percy said, panic coloring his words.

“Hellhound on the corner,” she panted, “I killed it.”

“Mom, get the ambrosia!” Percy called, kneeling in front of his girlfriend. She had a nasty wound on her thigh, probably a claw mark, and it was bleeding quite a bit. “I’m going to help you stand, okay?”

Annabeth nodded and reached out her arms. He wrapped an arm around her waist and held onto her hand with the other, and started pulling her up slowly, but stopped when she winced.

“I’m just going to carry you,” he decided.

“I’m fine, I-” she tried to protest, but Percy didn’t listen. He picked her up, careful not to create pressure on her injured leg, and walked her to the couch, placing her there delicately.

Sally then walked in with a bottle of ambrosia and some rags.

“What happened? Are you okay, sweetheart?”

Annabeth nodded. “A hellhound got me, but I’m fine now.”

Percy got the ambrosia and opened the cap. “This is going to sting a bit.”

“It’s okay.”

He poured some of the liquid on Annabeth’s wound and she hissed at the pain, grabbing his other arm. Percy watched, relieved, as the cut started to close slowly.

“You’re going to be okay. Everything is going to be fine,” Percy said, but he saying it more to himself more anyone else.

The sight of Annabeth lying down with an injury in front of him brought back a painful memory, still too fresh in Percy’s mind. He could see the scar on her shoulder, peeking out from underneath her shirt. The way she screamed when she took the knife for him was a sound Percy didn’t think he’d ever forget.

“I’m sorry,” Annabeth said, interrupting his train of thought.

“Sorry? For what?”

“For bleeding on the couch.” Underneath her now healing thigh, there was a large blood stain.

“Don’t worry about that,” Sally said. “It’s happened before, and I have just the right products to clean that up. I’m going to get you some water.”

Percy ran a hand over Annabeth’s forehead. “Are you okay?”

“Yes. Have I told you you’re cute when you’re worried?”

“Only when you’re badly injured.”

Annabeth laughed softly. “Well, it’s still true.”

“I know you only came over for a movie, but you should probably stay the night. There’s no way you can take the subway and walk to your dorm like this.”

“I don’t know, I don’t want to bother.”

“Are you kidding me? What do you think my mom would say to that?”

“I guess you’re right.” Annabeth smiled. “You worry too much about me, you know.”

“Do I?”

“Yes.”

“I think I can’t help it. You’re way too important to me.”

Annabeth placed a hand behind his neck. “Come here.”

Percy leaned in and kissed her, chastely. He definitely worried about her too much, but he couldn’t imagine doing it otherwise. She was probably the most precious thing in his life, which was bold for a sixteen-year old to think, but he had done and said many bold things in his life, so there. He’d fight every hellhound himself before not putting Annabeth on the forefront of his mind.

“Oh, my god.”

Percy looked back at the door and saw Paul standing there, mouth ajar.

“Hi, Paul,” Annabeth waved awkwardly from the couch.

“Was this… a monster thing?” The man asked.

They both nodded.

“Okay… I’m- I’m going to the kitchen.”

Percy and Annabeth held their laughter in until Paul disappeared into the apartment, and only stopped when Sally shushed them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let's talk on tumblr @theseaofmonster :)


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "there was never an 'us'"

Annabeth wanted to slam the fucking book on the table and walk out, but she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of winning without a fight.

“I don’t get why you’re so frustrated!” Percy exclaimed.

“Clearly you don’t.”

He let out a heavy breath. “Why do you have to be so fucking difficult?”

“Why do _you_ have to pretend like you’re not being an asshole?”

“How am I being an asshole?”

“I don’t know if you noticed, but everyone in this camp needs you here right now, and you keep running to go on fun little vacations while we’re here working our asses off.”

Percy glared at her. “Is this about me not being here or is this about Rachel?”

The name ignited something in Annabeth. “It’s about you acting like she’s more important than us- than this! There’s a war coming!”

“You don’t think I know that? You don’t think that’s the only thing I can think about every minute of the day?” He paused. When he continued, his voice was lower. “I can’t stop thinking about it, Annabeth, no matter where I am, but I guess I just have to keep trying before I lose it.”

“Well, I can’t stop thinking about it either, but I’m not running away to some mortal who has no clue what is happening,” Annabeth responded, but there was less anger in her words. Percy’s entire demeanor had changed from one moment to the other - he looked sad, tired. She regretted not being able to change it, and felt frustrated that he knew she couldn’t.

Maybe she would never be able to make it better for him, or anyone. And whether he knew it or not, Percy would probably die very soon, but him going to someone else who take his pain away and shutting her off felt like losing him sooner.

“Look,” he said, “I’m sorry this frustrates you, but I don’t know- I don’t think anyone is thinking straight right now. Me, you, anyone else.”

“I know everything I need to know,” Annabeth said, but she wished she didn’t. She wished she was confused or oblivious, because right now, knowing she loved him and knowing she could lose him hurt more than anything else, and she couldn’t do anything about it.

“You don’t!” He took a step in her direction. “You act like you understand, but you don’t. You think I don’t care about you… about us-.”

“ **There was never an ‘us’** ,” Annabeth said, and she was certain saying it hurt her infinitely more than it hurt him. “I’m own my own, like always, and I guess so are you.”

“You are _not_ on your own-”

“It’s okay,“ she cut him off. “I’m used to it. Have fun with Rachel.”

Annabeth gave Percy one last look - his brows furrowed over worried eyes - before she walked off, not giving him a chance to respond.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> catch me on tumblr @theseaofmonster :)


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: things you said when i was crying

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is based off of a single paragraph in moa that i make a big deal of but idk if anyone else remembers, so if you don’t here’s context: annabeth talks about how for three nights, spiders would come into her room and bite her and she’d stay awake until she managed to cry herself to sleep, and then in the morning she’d wake up and the bites would be gone but the spider webs would be there, so when she told her step mom, she thought she was making it up, and obv her dad was always busy. so after this happened 3 nights in a row she ran away

It was kind of weird to see Percy sitting on the living room couch next to her dad. Neither of them looked exactly comfortable, watching a sports game only her dad cared about while Percy pretended to be interested. Bobby and Matthew, on the other hand, were very excited, yelling at the TV every time a player made a move that disappointed them.

It was the first time Annabeth introduced Percy to his family as her official boyfriend. She knew they’d met briefly a couple of years back when he came to San Francisco to save her from Luke, but they’d never actually spent time together.

So there they were.

This was a first for Annabeth too, the first time she’d been with her mortal family since the Giants War. She’d put it off for probably way too long. After Tartarus, she had no idea how she would go back to her regular house in San Francisco. She didn’t know how to tell her dad about what happened. Everything had changed so drastically she feared he wouldn’t understand. Besides, it would be strange to watch her brothers go to school, watch her dad and stepmother go to work, and, in short, live a regular life. Would her old friends from school expect her to let them know she was in town? If they did, what would she do? Call them? Tell them about her year? It was nearly unthinkable. Her life was too far from normal for her to even pretend it was.

So she grasped onto the last thread of normalcy left in her teenage life - the fact that she had a boyfriend, a boyfriend that must be introduced to her family. Teenagers do that, right? Of course, Percy agreed to go immediately, and Sally allowed it, but not without many words of caution.

And so, there they were.

“Mom!” Bobby’s scream cut through the air, sprinting up the stairs after his mother. “Can we order pizza?”

“Get pepperoni this time!” Matthew added, shooting after his brother. “Last time you got broccoli and honestly I don’t know why anyone would add that to a pizza because…”

He was too far upstairs for Annabeth to hear the rest of his sentence.

Her dad turned off the TV. “I suppose I’ll go help.”

He followed his children upstairs, leaving Annabeth and Percy alone in the couch.

“How was the game?” Annabeth asked, sitting closer to him and grabbing his hands.

“Dunno,” he replied. “I don’t really get rugby, and honestly I wasn’t paying that much attention.”

She laughed. “That’s fine, neither was I.”

“Your brothers seemed really into it.”

“Oh, they are. They’re both at the team for their high school.”

“Twins in the same sports team? That’s like Fred and George in the quidditch team.”

“Oh my gods, that is so true. I have to tell them that, they’ll love it.”

“Annabeth!” Bobby called from upstairs. “Does Percy like pepperoni pizza?”

“Yes!” She yelled back.

“Very important info about me,” he commented. “If you didn’t know, I might have had to break up with you.”

“Well, I’m glad you didn’t,” she said, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth.

He smiled at her, the smile she knew was reserved just for her. She took it in, hoping it would get her through the family dinner that was about to come.

* * *

Annabeth’s stepmother took it upon herself to make the dinner conversation all about Percy’s childhood, which Annabeth knew was a tricky subject. He hadn’t told her much about his ex-stepfather, she heard about him in bits and pieces, but from what she could gather, he was a complete piece of shit. Therefore, she was ready to change the subject if need be.

“Did monsters come after you when you were a kid too, Percy?” Frederick asked.

“Yep. My mom tells me my teachers would tell her I was seeing things,” he explained, and Annabeth admired him for being so humorous about it. “I was definitely seeing monsters, and my mom knew that, but the teachers didn’t, so my mom had to pretend she was fine with me being fake-crazy.”

“We’d hear that from Annabeth’s teachers too,” Frederick turned to his wife. “Remember, Angela? They’d tell us she was smart, but that her imagination might have been going too far.”

“Of course I remember,” she replied. “She’s always been a very… imaginative girl. When she was a kid, she’d tell me spiders came to her room at night, didn’t you, sweetie?”

Annabeth froze.

She stared at her uneaten pizza and hoped that would be the end of it. She didn’t dare look her stepmother in the eye, scared of the cold look she would find. And scared of how she might react.

“I don’t know how they would, since the windows were always closed. Where did you find all that spider web, anyway?”

She almost didn’t hear her father trying to stop the question. She almost didn’t hear the sound of her chair against the floor as she quickly pushed it back, or the sound of Percy’s moving immediately afterwards. She almost didn’t hear her own footsteps running up the stairs, and the door slamming behind her as she entered her room.

_What the fuck?_

That was the only coherent thought she could form at that moment. She couldn’t believe that over ten years later, she’d been accused of lying about one of the most traumatic events of her childhood. She couldn’t believe she’d been stupid to think Angela didn’t see her that way anymore. Angela not believing her had been the reason she first ran away, and now she’d done the exact same thing again. She felt unwanted in her own home. How could she call this place a home in the first place?

So she just sat on her bed, a bed that felt less hers than Percy’s couch, and cried.

She heard the door creak open, but didn’t look up. She knew it was Percy, who quickly sat next to her on the bed. He didn’t touch her, waiting for her to reach out to him instead, waiting to know if she needed him or if she needed to be alone.

At that moment, she definitely needed Percy. She moved closer to him and without a word, he put his arms around her. He ran his hands up and down her back as she cried into his shoulder.

“I feel so stupid,” she admitted.

“Why?”

“Because I really thought she didn’t feel that way about me anymore.”

“Annabeth, that doesn’t make you stupid. It’s not stupid of you to expect her to change after ten years.”

She took a deep breath, trying to collect herself. Now that the shock was gone, she only was left with a sort of cold, dry anger.

“Do you want to leave?” Percy asked. “We can go back to New York right now. Fuck this.”

She looked up at him. The offer was tempting, but she thought about her dad, probably struggling with whether or not to come talk to her, and her brothers, who were always excited to see her, and reconsidered.

“It’s fine. I went to hell, I can take on Angela. And if not, I can just run to my room and cry for a little while, right?”

Percy didn’t seem like he enjoyed the idea of her crying for a little while, but he nodded. “Sure. And I’ll be here.”

“Good.”

“Does that mean you want to go back?”

“Yeah, I kinda want to finish my pizza. And they’re probably done anyway.”

“Awesome. And since I love you so much, I’ll even let you have the last slice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my tumblr: @theseaofmonster


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: things you said that made me feel like shit (but it's not what you expect)

“Annabeth, it’s way been too long now. How long are you going to keep this up?”

He was sick of her games.

A day ago, if he looked into her eyes, he’d see love. Now, he could only see malice.

Whenever he thought they were getting somewhere, she seemed to have another card to pull, a card that would send him 10 steps in the wrong direction. And no matter what he tried, she always seemed to have a way to push him back.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Percy.”

He took a deep breath. He was ready to give up, leave her behind. He was exhausted, tired of being backtracked. If it were anyone else, he would probably be far gone at this point.

“Besides, I think this will be over soon.”

Chills ran up his spine. _No_. He didn’t want it to end, he realized. Not like that. And he didn’t like her confidence that it would, either. It terrified him.

Then, Annabeth looked deep into his eyes. He could tell she was ready to deliver the final blow.

She slammed her hand on the table, placing her card on top of the pile.

“Uno. And draw four while you’re at it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for more comedy like this follow my tumblr @theseaofmonster


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "all i wanted was for you to be happy" except i pretend i'm a comedian

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the last one i posted was very stupid and so is this one!!! sometimes people send me sad prompts and i'm like sike and this is one of those times

“Percy, don’t do it,” Annabeth said.

“I think I might.”

“Percy, I swear to gods-”

“I’ll take it.”

“St. Charles Place, sold to Percy Jackson!” Piper announced.

“Percy, what the _fuck_? All I wanted was for you to be happy, and _this_ is what you do to me?”

“Sorry, babe,” Percy shrugged it off. “Strictly business.”

“Annabeth, calm down, it’s my turn,” Piper asked.

“Calm down? I was going to get all the pink cards! He doesn’t even have any! Why would he want St. Charles Place if I have all the other pink cards, it makes no sense!”

“You don’t know my plan,” Percy responded.

“Whatever, Jackson. You and me? It’s over.”

“What?”

“Oh, my gods, you two, I’m going to flip this Monopoly board if you don’t stop.”

“Wait, Annabeth, don’t break up with me. I still love you.”

“You clearly don’t.”

Percy started at Annabeth, and she started back at him defiantly. Piper started at both of them, exasperated.

“Can I fucking play or not?” She asked.

“Wait,” Annabeth demanded, and turned to Percy. “I’ll pay $250.”

“Double or nothing,” Percy countered.

Annabeth looked at the colorful bills in her hand.

“Fine,” she decided, handing him the money.

“A pleasure doing business with you.” He handed her the card. “Can we get back together now?”

“I’m not sure.”

Percy put on his best pleading face, and Piper nearly threw up.

“Please?” He asked.

Annabeth’s face broke into a smile. “Fine.”

“That’s it,” Piper said. “I’m done.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for more percy and annabeth being idiots my tumblr is @theseaofmonster


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: things you said when we were the happiest we ever were + things you said when we were on top of the world

The building Annabeth and Percy had just moved into in New Rome had no elevator, which means their day had been spent the day walking up and down five flights of stairs carrying boxes and furniture. The apartment was cheap, a lot cheaper than any sort of real estate in San Francisco, which was the main reason they’d chosen it. If Annabeth had been to hell and back, she could handle the commute to Berkeley.

They still didn’t have much. For starters, their room didn’t have a bed yet. They would take a trip downtown the next day to look for the things they still needed, but for now, they’d sleep on a mattress on the floor.

Annabeth heard the door shut from behind her as Percy set the last box down.

“Let’s take a break,” she suggested, sitting cross-legged on the old couch they’d managed to get from a neighbor who was about to move out.

“That’s the best idea I’ve heard all day,” Percy responded, dropping on the couch next to her. He threw his legs over the side and placed his head on her lap. Almost instinctively, Annabeth’s hands moved to his hair, running her fingers through his curls.

“Have you thought about the fact we’ll eventually have to empty all of these boxes and put everything where it belongs?” She asked.

“No, I’m actually trying to ignore that until I’m faced with the fact that we simply cannot live here until we move all this shit.”

Annabeth laughed. She looked around and tried to imagine the modest living room after they’d finished unpacking. Maybe she could decorate a little bit, a plant in the corner by the window, a picture on the opposite wall. She smiled to herself.

“We also need to buy a bed,” she remembered.

“Must things cost money? Haven’t we had enough pain in life already?”

“Well, unless you want to overthrow the bourgeoisie right now, we’ll have to settle for paying.”

“Nah,” Percy decided, throwing his forearm over his eyes. “Right now I want a nap.”

Annabeth pulled his arm up and he blinked at her.

“That’s too bad, because the only things that are out of boxes at the moment are the mattress and the things we have on us.”

“The mattress is the only thing I need to nap, Annabeth.”

“Oh my gods, you are _not_ lying down on that old ass mattress without a sheet on it.”

He sat up on the couch.

“Fine, but can we go out and get coffee first? We’ll start unboxing when we get home.”

_When we get home._

A smile slowly grew on Annabeth’s face. This was her home now. She’d never had that before. Sure, she has Camp, and Percy’s apartment felt like home by now, but neither of those places were really hers. But this apartment was hers, theirs.

She looked out the window. The sunset painted the walls pink, and she could see the little street below their building. She’d be seeing a lot of that now, and she’d probably get bored of the small building opposite theirs sooner rather than later. And, honestly, she was in love with that idea. She wanted to know her block like the palm of her hand, so much so that she could make her way to the Starbucks on the corner with her eyes closed. She wanted to feel the familiarity and comfort of the doorknob on her fingers after coming home from a long day. And most of all, she liked knowing Percy would probably be there, sitting on that couch, ready to welcome her with a smile.

“What’s that look on your face?” Percy asked from the door.

Annabeth realized she probably looked kinda silly, looking out the window and smiling at nothing. She got up from the couch and walked up to him, lying her head on his shoulder wrapping her arms around his waist. He put his own around her and kissed the side of her head.

Annabeth looked up at Percy. “Just thinking about how we live here now. Together.”

He smiled. “It’s kinda crazy, isn’t it?”

“Definitely. If thirteen year old Annabeth heard she’d be moving in with you, she’d throw a fit.”

“Thirteen year old Percy wouldn’t. He was already in love with you then.”

“Yeah, right.”

“I was. I just didn’t know it yet,” he added. “I was too busy saving up for my XBox. Also trying not to die.”

“Sounds about right.”

“However, I now am a proud owner of an XBox, which means I have time to be obsessed with my girlfriend. But, like, in a good and healthy way.”

Annabeth laughed and pulled him in. She felt his smile against her lips, and all of the boxes lining the living room walls seemed to disappear. She didn’t need a plant or pictures, because as long as she had Percy, his arms around her like he’d never let go, she was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm on tumblr @theseaofmonster :)


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: things you said i wan't meant to hear

“Come on, Annabeth. How long are you gonna deny it for? It’s obvious you like him,” Connor pointed out for the millionth time.

You see, this is what counselor meeting had come to. While Percy didn’t get there (he was late every single time), her closest friends took the opportunity to grill her about her feelings for him. And it angered because they were right. She obviously had feelings for him. How couldn’t she?

And how could she?

She felt so stupid. She wished it would go away, she wished she could brush it off like dust on a shelf. But she couldn’t help her racing heart every time he smiled at her, or when their hands accidentally brushed together when walking side by side. Except it didn’t feel nice anymore. Because now, being close to him hurts sometimes. Because the gap between them seems to be getting wider and wider as a the cloud of feelings moving between them gets stormier and more confusing. And, most importantly, because he didn’t know it yet, but he might very well be dead in a couple of months, and there was exactly nothing Annabeth could do about it. And yet, there she was. In love with her best friend.

She knew saying it out loud would only make it worse, so she gave Connor her final response to his teasing.

“Gods, Connor, how many times am I gonna have to say this? I don’t like Percy, and he probably doesn’t like me either. We’ll never date, so leave it alone.”

“Um, okay,” he said, but he wasn’t looking at her.

Annabeth turned to see Percy standing at the door, his hair freshly wet from the shower he’d probably just come out of. The corners of his mouth were curved down very slightly, a look she recognized - he was upset, but trying not to show it.

She locked eyes with him for one, two, three seconds. She could not think of a single word to say to him at that moment.

But wasn’t that what she wanted? Didn’t she want him to think that was how she really felt? It would be less mortifying for her if he didn’t know, because she was sure he didn’t love her back. Yet, she knew it was wrong.

This wasn’t a silly crush, she knew. It wasn’t like her other teenage friends playing games over text. He meant too much to her, they’d been far too intertwined in each other’s lives for it to be like that. He was her best friend. She’d sworn on the Styx to protect him. She’d die for him, and he’d die for her too. And she’d just said to everyone who wanted to hear that loving him was out of the question, including Percy himself. The lie felt dirty on her tongue.

Someone called for the meeting to start, and Percy averted his eyes. He walked straight past her and sat on a couch opposite to the end of the room where she was standing. Neither of them talked much during the meeting, only making occasional remarks and answering questions. Annabeth couldn’t bring herself to look at Percy for more than two seconds. At one moment, he met her eyes, and for the first time, she couldn’t tell what the look on his face meant. She started at the floor for the rest of the time.

When the meeting ended, she debated staying behind to talk to him, but gave up when she realized she wouldn’t know what to say. Apparently, however, he did, because during her moments of hesitation, he walked up to her.

“You forgot this hair tie,” he said, “the last time you went to my place. Sorry I took so long to return it. I didn’t remember until today.”

He handed Annabeth the small object, and their fingers brushed.

“Thanks,” she said.

He looked at her, hesitant. Then he turned back and walked back to his cabin, hands buried in his pockets.

Annabeth could only stand there, staring at the hair tie in her hand. When she was sure he wouldn’t see it, she let the tears fall.

* * *

As he watched her during breakfast that morning, Percy thought Annabeth’s hair looked really nice. She never lets it down like that. He thought it looked really beautiful.

Which reminded him he still hadn’t returned her hair tie she’d forgotten when she’d come to visit the previous week. It was probably in one of the pockets of his jeans. He’d have to return it later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my tumblr is @theseaofmonster come chat w me!


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "it might be too late but you could do a short little fic about percy annabeth and grover reuniting after blood of olympus?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i haven't posted these in a few days! sorry about that. as you all might know, there is quite a lot going on in the world right now so this ended up being less of a priority than understanding and acting on what is happening and also working on my bigger fics. i hope these little drabbles serve as a way for you to relax for a little while, because god knows i need that and you all probably do too. however, please don't forget to act. black people all over the world are calling us for action so do whatever you are able to do- donate, protest, speak out, sign petitions, listen. black lives matter. thank you for reading.

When the battle ended, they were silent. Nobody spoke. The ones who remained looked at each other, like they couldn’t believe. Like at any moment, there would be another explosion, another monster, another arrow.

There wasn’t.

Percy searched his surroundings for Annabeth. She stood at the top of the hill, almost paralysed. When they locked eyes, it was like time had started passing again after being frozen. She ran down and he caught her in his arms.

They did it. She was alive, they were alive.

She was crying when she kissed him, holding onto him like he was about to vaporize. He didn’t think they were happy tears, as weren’t the ones slowly trailing down his own cheeks. They’d lost too much, been through too much, seen too much. Right now, they were glad they were alive and had each other. From where they stood, not much was left to celebrate.

“I love you,” she whispered.

“I love you,” he whispered back. “So much.”

“We did it.”

“We did it.”

Those words almost made Percy smile. In fact, they took him out of his trance long enough for him to realize he was home, at camp. Looking around for real this time, he saw familiar faces. The campers he’d seen so often then not at all for eight months were there, like he’d never left. Some of his friends looked at him, taking his presence in, and all they could do was smile at him. He smiled back.

Murmurs now filled the silence, everyone still slowly recovering from the shock and adrenaline. That is, until a scream cut through the hill.

“Percy!”

He didn’t have to look to see who it was. Grover was making his way from the Big House, running as fast as he could. Percy took off in his direction.

When they hugged, neither of them could hold back tears. Percy couldn’t believe he was with his best friend after eight months. He’d missed him so much, his stupid jokes, his climate change protest tees and his comforting advice. He was much taller than Grover now, he realized as they held each other.

“I can’t believe you’re home,” Grover said after what seemed like forever.

“Yeah. Me neither.”

“Glad to have you back, bro.”

“Glad to be back,” Percy said, and he meant it. Seeing Grover made things start to shift back to normal. The two of them at camp, getting in trouble. Maybe it would be okay.

Percy remembered Annabeth and half-cursed himself for taking so long. He ruffled Grover’s hair one last time and stepped aside. Annabeth immediately ran into Grover’s arms. After knowing both of them for so long, Percy almost forgot their history went back even longer. Annabeth probably missed Grover as much as he did.

Grover said something that made Annabeth laugh as she dried her tears, and Percy felt so grateful for both of them. A few years ago, he firmly believed he’d never be good enough to have real friends who loved him. Now, here he was - in love with the most amazing girl in the world, who happened to love him back; and the bravest satyr with the biggest heart for a best friend. In the middle of all the chaos, death and disaster, he’d scored those two.

“Ok, I’m feeling isolated here,” Percy called. “Group hug.”

And with one arm around his best friend, and the other one around the love of his life, Percy felt truly happy for the first time in weeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm on tumblr @theseaofmonster :)


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "could you do a scene where percy and annabeth are at school or smth and there’s an emergency at camp that they have to get to and everyone is like “bro why you leaving for a summer camp emergency’s it’s february”? idk that’s really specific but i just love your writing so... have a nice day!"

A high-pitched sound cut through the silence in the classroom. Percy followed it to Annabeth’s backpack - her phone was ringing. Red as a tomato, she reached down to get it. She never really got phone calls, so she didn’t bother putting it on silent. She glanced at the screen long enough to realize who it was, shot Percy a look and got up.

“Mrs. Collins, it’s a family emergency. I have to take this,” she said, and walked out before her teacher could say anything. Before stepping out of the classroom, though, she shot Percy an urgent look. _Follow me_.

He just nodded, and started thinking of a plan. He couldn’t just leave right away, or else everyone would assume he was just following his girlfriend to skip class. He had to come up with a good reason to leave, too. He watched the clock, waited ten minutes and, with his best sick voice, used his traditional demigod-getting-out-of-class apology:

“Mrs. Collins, I think I’m going to be sick.”

The biology teacher looked up from her book and stared at him for a couple of seconds, deciding whether or not to believe him. At last, she said:

“Alright. You can go.”

Without bothering to get his things, he walked into the hallway as fast as he could. He looked around for Annabeth and found her standing on a corner, still on the phone. As he approached her, he could hear her conversation more clearly.

“Yeah, he said no one else can do it. I asked if he was sure, like, five times. It’s really an emergency,” she explained, a regretful tone on her voice. “I’m really sorry, Mrs. Jackson.” She spotted Percy. “Look, Percy’s here. Percy, say ‘I love you’ to your mom.”

She quickly placed the phone in front of his mouth.

“I love you?”

“Great. Again, I’m really sorry Mrs. Jackson. We’ll be back as soon as possible. Yeah, we will. Thank you. Bye.”

She hung up and quickly put the phone in her pocket.

“Annabeth, what the fu-”

“Mr. Jackson, Ms. Chase,” a voice called from behind. “Is there a reason you two are not in class?”

They turned around to see the principal, a grumpy old man who didn’t let things slide very easily.

Annabeth was quick to respond. “Yes, Mr. Becker. Percy and I need to leave for the day. It’s an emergency.”

“Is that right? And where is this _emergency_ of yours, exactly?”

“Our summer camp.”

Mr. Becker let out a dry laugh.

“Your _summer camp_? What could possibly happen in a summer camp that would require your immediate attention?”

“Our friend died. We’re going to his funeral. At the summer camp.”

The old man was silent. He probably began to regret his harsh treatment.

“Very well. I suppose I’ll get a call from an adult confirming this?”

“Yes. Percy’s mom should be calling you soon.”

“Alright, then. My condolences to you two.”

Annabeth didn’t give him the time to say anything else. She grabbed Percy’s hand and started running down the hallway, on the way to the parking lot.

“Percy, I already called your mom, we need to go to camp right no-”

“Woah, woah, woah, wait a minute” Percy called and grabbed her shoulders, stopping her. “Annabeth, is someone _dead_?”

“Oh, my gods,” she said, slapping her forehead. “I didn’t tell you. No, no one is dead. I’m sorry.”

“Then why the hell are we leaving like this?”

“It’s Apollo. Or Lester. Whatever. He’s at camp, and he said he needs to talk to us right away. Something about an evil roman emperor.”

Percy sighed in frustration. “Why does it have to be us?”

“Don’t you think I asked that question too? You know Apollo. He’s always that dramatic.”

He grabbed Annabeth’s hand. He could tell she was just as upset as he was.

“Fine. Let’s go. But I get to pick the car music.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lets catch up on tumblr @theseaofmonster


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "If you’re still taking requests, could u write about Percy and Annabeth a little bit after they got together, getting used to being all cute and intimate with each other. Thank you!!"

The campfire had always been a special moment in Annabeth’s day. It was a time when she felt she could forget her worries just a little bit, sing silly songs and have fun with her friends. However, it felt even more special now that she could hold Percy’s hand, snuggle up with him by the fire and rest her head on his shoulder. Neither her nor Percy were especially good singers, so they decided to make it their job to sing louder than the Apollo kids trying to harmonize. Whether or not they succeeded, it made her so happy to sit next to her boyfriend (yes, her _boyfriend_ ) and yell out the lyrics as loud as she could. 

You see, before they had started dating, everything was difficult and tense. Even sitting next to him during the campfire sing along would have been unbearable, inevitably resulting in an argument. Now, even though they had taken their relationship one step further, things felt so much simpler. All of the anger and tension had dissipated. She could hug him, hold his hand, kiss him, talk to him about anything and it all felt so _right_ , like the last puzzle piece had fallen into place.

The last song ended and most of the campers started heading to their cabins. Since there was still about an hour before curfew, though, some others stuck around the fire. That had become a habit for Percy and Annabeth. Without that many people around, they could finally just relax and have some time for themselves.

Percy turned on the bench, pulling his legs up and sitting cross-legged, facing Annabeth. She mirrored him. He looked down for a second, a hesitant look on his face, but he reached for her hand. She gave it to him and didn’t let go.

Annabeth knew it was silly to still get butterflies. They’d held hands a few times before they’d started dating. However, holding hands with boyfriend Percy was completely different than holding hands with friend Percy. Before, they would reach for each other’s hands out of fear, desperation. Now, it was simply because they could. Because they wanted to. And there was something about the way he took her hand, so gently, the way he stroked her hand with his thumb, as if to say _I’m here, I’m yours_.

“How much do you think we pissed them off this time?” Percy asked.

“I think this was our record. Some of them even gave up on singing altogether.”

“Excellent. Let’s keep it up.”

As they talked, Percy played with her hand, not paying much attention. She pretended not to notice, because if she didn’t, she would start kissing him mid-sentence, and he’d think she was weird. He’d do these things now, just small, involuntary tokens of intimacy, like playing with her hair, placing his hand on her knee, resting his head on her lap when they were sitting on the floor. It drove her crazy.

“Don’t you think that Kaylie is one of those girls that were mean in middle school?” Annabeth asked, recalling the reaction of the Apollo campers. “She always tries to sing louder than everyone and gives us these really dirty looks.”

“Oh my gods, she does. She reminds me of this girl that went to school with me and Grover.”

“Nancy?”

“That’s the one,” Percy laughed. “She was awful.”

“Little girls can be so mean sometimes. I remember when I still went to school in Virginia, a little bit before I ran away, there was a girl who liked to make fun of my hair. One day, she made a drawing of me and started showing it to everyone. She said I looked like a hairy blonde monster, if I recall correctly.”

“Well, I can confirm that’s not an accurate statement, because I’ve met many hairy blonde monsters and you don’t look like any of them.”

“Yeah! I mean, I know I’m not exactly _pretty_ but I think I deserve better than that.”

Percy didn’t respond for a while, a surprised look on his face.

“What? Wait, do you mean that?”

“Mean what?”

“That you’re not pretty.”

She was startled. She didn’t expect him to question her. “Well, yeah. I don’t exactly take care of myself like that, like putting makeup on or anything.”

Percy seemed almost offended

“Annabeth, that’s so stupid. You are literally the prettiest girl I know.”

It was her turn to be surprised.

When she spoke again, she was quiet. “Do you really think that?”

“Yes! And don’t even try to tell me I’m only saying this because I’m your boyfriend, because that’s bullshit. I should get extra credibility because I’m your boyfriend.”

“And why is that?”

“Because I spend more time than anyone else looking at you, so I’m the expert.”

She didn’t know whether to laugh or kiss him. She decided on the latter. She could feel his smile against her lips. His hand moved from hers to the back of her neck, and when he kissed her back, she felt like that was the only thing that mattered in the world.

“For what it’s worth,” she said, after they broke apart, “I think you’re the most handsome boy I know.”

Percy smiled. “Then we’re a perfect match.”

And _gods_ , she was starting to think he was right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lets talk on tumblr @theseaofmonster


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: domestic and soft percabeth

They sat on the couch with a _thump_ as two little feet ran into the hallway. Estelle was excited to place her newly-acquired toy fish next to her other thirteen toys, the ever growing Jackson-Blofis family. She requires her parents, her brother and her sister slash brother’s girlfriend to memorize all of their names, no matter how ridiculous (the new fish’s name is Mr. Jay Jay Nemo Jr.)

“Who knew amusement parks could be more exhausting than running from monsters?” Percy demanded.

“I guess a four-year old is faster and more energetic than any monster ever will be,” Annabeth pointed out.

“How many times did we go on the haunted house?”

“I don’t know. Four times? Five?”

“And I thought those were supposed to be scary for kids.”

Annabeth held onto her own toy fish, similar to Estelle’s, except hers was a different color - Estelle’s was a bright pink, Annabeth’s was green.

She examined her gift, then looked at Percy. “How are you so good at getting these things on the claw machine? I can never manage.”

“Honestly,” he started, acquiring a fake air of superiority, “it’s a natural talent. I was born with it. You peasants would never understand.”

Annabeth laughed, launching the fish at Percy’s head.

“Ow!” He exclaimed, laughing and throwing the fish back to its original owner. “I give you a _heartfelt gift_ , and this is how you repay me?”

“Fine,” she conceded, scooting closer to him on the couch. “I can give you a little something else.”

She placed her hand behind his neck, pulling him closer, and-

“EW! NO KISSING!” Estelle proclaimed, jumping between them on the couch. In her arms, she held Mr. Jay Jay Nemo Jr., Martin the whale, and Samantha the octopus. As of now, they were her only sea-related toys, much to Percy’s disappointment.

“Percy, Nannabeth,” she began, very seriously. “I think that Mr. Jay Jay Nemo Jr., and Martin, and also Samantha should live together, because they all live in the sea.”

“But don’t they all already live together on the shelf in your room?” Annabeth demanded.

“Yes, but the room is too big. They need a smaller house just for them!”

“But what about the other ones? Why don’t they get a house for themselves too?” Percy asked. “For example, Madame Louise” Estelle’s first Barbie doll “is a very fancy lady. Shouldn’t she get a fancy mansion?”

“ _No_ , Percy. Because the room is so big, so she can’t have a mansion. But the _sea_ is really big too, so the animals _need_ a house. Duuuh!”

Percy and Annabeth exchanged glances, entertained by Estelle’s very logical explanation. The little girl did not notice, continuing with her mission.

“Nannabeth,” she called once more. “You draw houses. Can you draw a pretty house for Mr. Jay Jay Nemo Jr., and for Martin and Samantha? My daddy can build it and it will look very cool and I will let you play with it.”

Despite the piles of work she had expecting her at home, Annabeth agreed wholeheartedly. Satisfied, Estelle jumped off the couch, yelled a last “no kissing!” and ran back to her room, presumably to tell the other members of the toy family of the future real estate to be added to her room.

“I know she said no kissing,” Percy said, after they heard the door in Estelle’s room shut, “but can I get my kiss now?”

Finally uninterrupted after chasing after a four-year old girl for several hours, Annabeth leaned in and pressed a kiss to Percy’s lips.

He took her in. Her lips tasted of cotton candy and Pepsi, and he thought that if he could stay in that moment forever, he would. For the first time in many years, he felt so _lucky_. He was so happy he could go to an amusement park with the world’s most adorable child and the girl he loved the most in the entire world. He was glad he could go with them to the haunted house ride five times and win them each one stupid toy fish, and see both of their faces light up as he presented the gifts to them.

Percy only noticed he was smiling too much to kiss properly when Annabeth pulled back, with a smile to match his, and asked, “What?”

“Nothing,” he replied. “I was just wondering what you were going to name your fish.”

“Hmmm,” she hummed contently, laying her head on his shoulder and clutching the fish to her stomach. “I don’t know. I can decide after I nap.“

“Deal,” he said, planting a kiss to the top of her head and wrapping his arms around her. “Make it shorter than Mr. Jay Jay Nemo Jr., though.”

“Mhmmm.”

* * *

Sally and Paul arrived home to find Percy half-sitting half-lying on the couch, his arms around Annabeth while Estelle’s head was sitting on his thigh, all of them sound asleep. In the mix were also two toy fishes the couple didn’t recognize - a pink and a green one, each being clutched tightly by one of the girls.

Sally thought back to her life 10 years before.

“Isn’t our family beautiful?” She asked quietly, careful not to wake the children.

Paul smiled. “Yes, they are.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @theseaofmonster on tumblr :)


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: botl angst with a happy ending

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> very self indulgent and not canon compliant

“I’m sorry,” Annabeth told Percy. “I—I should get back. I’ll keep in touch.”

“Listen, Annabeth—” He thought about Mount St. Helens, Calypso’s Island, Luke and Rachel Elizabeth Dare, and how suddenly everything had gotten so complicated. He wanted to tell Annabeth that he didn’t really want to be so distant from her.

It wasn’t until she said, “Yes?” that he realized that he hadn’t figured out a way to express all of that yet.

He started simple. “Things are weird.”

Annabeth was hesitant. “Okay.”

“I don’t want them to be.”

"What do you mean?”

Percy thought she knew, but he answered anyway.

“I don’t know… we used to be able to talk about things, and now it’s all complicated and tense. I want to be able to talk to you again.”

“You still can,” she countered.

“Well, I can try, but sometimes you just get mad.”

Annabeth diverted her eyes. This was clearly not a comfortable topic.

“It’s not like you don’t do anything to _make_ me mad.”

“I’m not trying to!”

“Okay. You know what, I’m going to go—”

She turned around, but Percy grabbed her arm.

“Hold on.”

“What?”

“Just— let’s at least finish talking about this.”

She crossed her arms. “What’s there to talk about?”

“The reason you’re mad and we can’t talk to each other anymore.”

“And what’s that?”

“I don’t know. You’re the one who’s mad.”

Annabeth let out a frustrated laugh. “You’re so _oblivious_ sometimes.”

“Am I?”

“Yes!”

“I’d be way less oblivious if you just told me what’s wrong, you know. I can’t read your mind.”

“Read my mind? Percy, I _kissed_ you. What’s hard to understand about that?”

He swallowed his next words. He wasn’t expecting _that_. Okay, maybe he kind of was, but he didn’t expect her to be that blunt about it.

“Uh—”

“So, yeah. Sorry if I get mad when you’re constantly talking about Rachel and the prophecy and Kronos or whatever.”

She sounded frustrated, but her expression wasn’t angry anymore. She looked like she did when she wanted to cry a little bit, but was trying not to.

“Um, I didn’t think—I mean, I’m sorry,” Percy said quietly.

Annabeth nodded.

“I just didn’t know if… I don’t know, if you would regret it, or honestly, if it actually happened, ‘cause I got blown up right afterwards, so I thought I might have imagined it. I didn’t think you’d ever _want_ to kiss me so when you did—”

She kissed him before he could finish. He was caught by surprise this time too, but since he wasn’t about to die, Percy was able to adapt to the situation. His hands flew to her waist and he kissed her back for real this time.

When Annabeth pulled back, she was blushing profusely. Percy probably was too, but he was too happy to care.

“Sorry I get mad at you,” she said.

“‘S okay.”

“I promise I won’t be as mad anymore.”

“Even though things still suck?” Percy asked, hopeful.

“Even if things still suck,” Annabeth agreed.

“Cool.” Percy smiled.

Argus honked down the road.

“I guess I have to go,” Percy said.

Annabeth sighed and his heart raced.

“Okay. I’ll see you.”

“Yes. Don’t forget to call me. And IM me. And all that stuff.”

Annabeth laughed. “Okay.”

“Don’t let the private school girls annoy you too much.”

“I won’t, Seaweed Brain.”

He heard another honk, which meant he really had to go. Before sprinting down the hill, he pressed a quick kiss to Annabeth’s lips.

“Bye.”

She was waving when he looked back, and he thought he could get used to the look on her face right after he kissed her. Yep, definitely an improvement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am on tumblr @theseaofmonster if youre interested ;)


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: annabeth is snoring and percy teases her about it just like she lovingly teases him about the drooling

It wasn’t uncommon for Annabeth to take afternoon naps on the weekends, especially when she didn’t have that much school work to do, so when Percy walked into their apartment that Sunday and saw her snoozing on the couch, he just smiled and went to their room. He showered and changed into more comfortable clothes. He and Annabeth were supposed to order pizza that night, but their favorite place had closed down, so he got his phone and went back to the living room to confer with her about an alternative. When he stopped by the couch and looked up from his phone, however, she was still asleep.

Annabeth was curled up into a ball at the very end of the couch, arms crossed and knees tucked into her chest. She looked so peaceful, Percy thought, and absolutely gorgeous. He quietly took a seat next to her and was about to google local pizza places when he heard a low snore escape Annabeth.

Percy felt a smile form on his lips. She almost never snored, and when he told her she did, she refused to acknowledge it, saying he was only trying to make her feel bad for making fun of him for drooling.  _ Not anymore,  _ Percy said to himself. He pointed the phone at her and opened the camera app.

He managed to film her for a few seconds, capturing some respectable snores. He would have gone on for a few more seconds if he hadn’t received a text notification, causing his phone to ding loudly. It was enough to wake Annabeth, who tilted her head up and slowly blinked awake.

“Hi,” she said when she spotted Percy next to her.

“Hey. Sorry I woke you up.” He moved closer to her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

“‘S okay,” she responded, stretching. “How did the group project go?”

“Okay. You know how it is.”

Annabeth nodded. “So…” She started, but stopped when she saw the look on his face. “What?”

“I have a fun video I want to show you.”

“I have a feeling this video won’t be very fun for me.”

Percy shrugged, but he knew the look on his face probably confirmed her suspicions. He handed her the phone and started playing the video, but instead of watching it, he kept his eyes on her face, interested in her reaction.

It was a few seconds until she really realized what was really happening, and when she did, she lifted a hand up to cover her eyes.

“You have got to be kidding me.”

“The camera doesn’t lie, Annabeth.”

She sat through the rest of the video in silence with her eyebrows raised, clearly annoyed at its content. When it was over, she handed Percy his phone.

“You’re an asshole.”

“I think what you mean is ‘you were right, Percy. I won’t make fun of you anymore.’”

“Right. In your dreams.”

He stuck out his tongue at her, and Annabeth playfully slapped his chest. She was smiling, though, so he pulled her to his lap.

“You do know I  _ have  _ to send this video to Grover and Piper, right?” Percy said. Both of their friends had also caught Annabeth snoring and been shut down by her.

She tried for a pout. “Do you?”

“I do. And don’t give me that face.”

Annabeth shrugged. “Worth a try.”

Percy nodded. “I does work sometimes, doesn’t it?”

“Yep.”

“You know me way too well for my own good.”

“I’m fine with that,” Annabeth decided, tilting her head up and kissing him.

He kissed her back, pulling her closer. Percy felt her melt into him, wrapping her arms loosely around his torso. They pulled back after a few seconds, and Percy remembered what he had initially tried to do.

“We need to choose the pizza.”

“Gods, I forgot about that. I’ll miss Nino’s.”

“Me too. Wanna look for a new place?”

She nestled against his chest and pulled out his phone from the pocket in his hoodie, holding it in a way they could both see it.

“Let’s do it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lets talk on tumblr @theseaofmonster :)


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: late night conversation

Annabeth had memorized the ceiling above Percy’s bunk in Cabin 3 by now. She imagined the it had once been painted white, but now it was a faded yellow at best. There was a crack by the wall shaped like a tree, and a grey stain a few inches away.

She turned her head to face Percy, lying next to her and playing with her fingers.

His broad shoulders occupied most of the space on the twin bed, so she tucked herself in his arms, her head rested on his chest. She thought about Percy just two years before. She’d been a little taller than him, which was funny because his height now greatly surpassed hers. He was stronger, bigger, more broken too. And so was she. Every since he showed up at Camp clutching a Minotaur horn, their lives had grown irrevocably intertwined, in a way that a future without Percy seemed almost illogical.

“You okay?” He asked. It was the first time either of them had spoken in a while.

“Yeah,” Annabeth responded. “Just thinking.”

She felt Percy nod. “About?”

“When we met, we were just little kids. You were so tiny.” Annabeth smiled.

“Well, so were you.”

“Right, but I was less tiny.”

“Are you ever going to let that go?”

“Probably not.”

He huffed in feigned frustration, but pulled her closer. Annabeth smiled and shifted against his side, throwing an arm over his torso.

“I was a really annoying twelve-year old,” Percy commented.

Annabeth looked up at him. “Are you kidding me? You were a sweetheart.  _ I _ was the most obnoxious child in the world.”

“Was?”

“Shut up.”

“I’m joking. You’re only a little obnoxious, but I still love you.”

“Thanks a lot.”

Percy chuckled softly.

“Seriously, though,” he continued. “I feel like none of these new kids experience this place like when we were twelve.”

“Definitely,” Annabeth agreed. “They have it easy, being claimed right away and stuff.”

“Well, we were both claimed pretty quickly too,” Percy countered.

“Right. It’s different, though.”

“I guess.”

Something to his tone told Annabeth he had something else on his mind.

“You’re thinking about something else,” she told him.

He didn’t say anything for a few seconds.

“We know each other way too well. I was thinking about something else, and I knew you knew, and I also knew you were gonna say something about it, so before you asked I was already thinking about how I was going to respond.”

Annabeth laughed. “That’s actually kind of funny. Do you think we’re annoying to other people?”

“I feel like sometimes they can’t understand our conversations.”

“Yeah, I think so too.”

“I also know you’re gonna fall asleep soon, because you only turn on your side like that when you’re about to sleep.”

“Well, so are you, because you start getting philosophical when you’re tired.”

“Joke’s on you, I’m always tired.”

“Sounds like the joke is still on you.”

“You know- whatever.”

Annabeth realized she was right. The heat of Percy’s arms around her and the wind blowing outside was making her lids heavier and heavier.

“So what were you going to say?” She asked.

“I forgot.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lets yell about percabeth together on tumblr @theseaofmonster :)


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: first time percy calls annabeth 'babe'

Annabeth had just won three sparring matches in a row and the overall friendly competition. In a different time, that title might have belonged to Percy, but he didn’t fight anymore because of the Achilles curse— he was literally unbeatable, so Chiron had forbidden him from taking part in the competitions, and he was considering pulling him out of capture the flag, too. That didn’t mean he didn’t help, though. Percy was the most requested sword fighting instructor and served as a sort of unrequited referee when other people were competing.

To the victor go the spoils, but Annabeth still had to help clean up. The new kids, in their excitement, would finish a battle and scatter, and it would be up to the older campers to remind them that all the fun was accompanied by responsibilities. Cue Percy and Annabeth picking swords, shields and armors off the floor after everyone was gone. 

Could they have asked for help? Absolutely. However, this was one of the only activities in which other campers would not voluntarily take part to bother them for the sake of being annoying.

They’d tidied up most of the arena and there were only a few weapons left to clean up. Percy was putting things in the container while Annabeth wiped them clean of sweat and the occasional blood.

“Baby, can you pass me that shield?” Percy asked.

Annabeth froze in place. She forced her brain to process what Percy said after the word “baby”. Her mind repeated the word “shield”, so she looked around and located one a few feet away from where she was standing.

“This one?” She pointed and asked, but her voice came out a lot louder than she intended it to.

“Uh, yeah.” By the look on his face, Percy definitely realized something was up.

Annabeth was sure she was red as a tomato. What was surprising, however, was the fact that she didn’t hate the pet name at all. In fact, she liked it. A lot. She would usually never let anyone call her anything but her name, plain and simple, but coming from Percy, it didn’t bother her. It sounded sweet and right.

Annabeth handed him the shield and he placed it in the container.

“Was, um, was that weird?” Percy asked. “I didn’t realize I said it but if you think it was weird then-”

“It wasn’t weird,” she interrupted him. She wiped her hands on her shorts and grabbed his. “I liked it. It was sweet.”

A small, hopeful smirk grew on Percy’s face. “It was?”

“Yes,” Annabeth said. “You’re sweet.”

The smirk turned into a huge smile, and Annabeth had no choice but to kiss it off.

“Okay,” Percy said, sounding satisfied. 

“Okay,” Annabeth agreed. “Now, come on. Let’s clean this up.”


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: getting caught

“And this is the arts and crafts room,” Lou Ellen said to the group of campers walking behind her. “We just set it up, it used to be something else, so it’s still a little messy, but you’ll work it out.”

She stepped forward and opened the door, stepping aside to let everyone inside. 

“If you can’t find something, ask an older camper. Probably someone from my cabin, because-” She stopped talking when she heard quiet snickers and one muted gasp. “What’s wrong?”

The kids exchanged glances, but no one said anything. One boy in the back pointed to a spot in the corner of the room. Lou followed the new campers’ glances and located what— or who they were whispering about.

Percy and Annabeth were sleeping on a beanbag chair by the crayons box. Percy had his arm around her shoulder and his head facing her. She had her arm draped over his chest and her head buried in the crook of his neck. Their legs were a tangled mess. Lou herself felt a tinge of red creeping up her cheeks.

Another not-so-quiet snicker managed to wake Annabeth up. She sat up with a jolt and looked around the room, eyes wild until she realized where she was. It didn’t take much longer for Percy to follow, rubbing his eyes and putting a hand on Annabeth’s back.

“Hi, guys,” Lou said. “We’re um, doing a tour.”

“We’ll leave,” Annabeth said, starting to get up. She stopped when Percy grabbed her wrist.

“We’re not interrupting, are we?” He asked, directing the question half to Annabeth and half to Lou. Given the deep circles around both their eyes, Lou didn’t have the heart to say yes. Since there was no answer, he continued, looking at his girlfriend. “Do you want to nap?”

Annabeth was hesitant, glancing at Lou before answering. “Yeah.”

“Okay.” He settled against the beanbag chair and pulled her to him again. “Thanks, Lou,” he mumbled before closing his eyes again.

“Okay, guys,” Lou said to the group, who was now watching the couple with a lot of curiosity. “Let’s move on.”

They followed her out of the room and she closed the door. Once they were a safe distance away, Lou stopped.

“I can see some of you are confused, so let me explain something to you,” she said, effectively catching the attention of the group. “Some people in this camp saved the world practically by themselves. We all helped, but if it wasn’t for them, we’d  _ all _ be dead. Percy and Annabeth are included in that category. That means that if they want to take a nap— well, just let them.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is not what you would expect from this prompt probably but i had fun with it!!! i'm on tumblr @theseaofmonster if u wanna chat :)


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